MARQUETTE, Mich. -- Trailing Northern Michigan (9-12 overall, 6-3 GLIAC) two sets to one on Saturday afternoon inside Vandament Arena, the Wayne State University volleyball team (16-4 overall, 8-2 GLIAC) flipped the script to win the final two periods. With that, the Warriors remained unbeaten at 4-0 in five-set matches this season.
"Tough match today against a NMU team that has been playing very good volleyball of late," said head coach
Tim Koth. "I'm proud of the way our team worked through and found a way to win in a tough environment. Individually,
Kayla Giroux was dominant both offensively and defensively at the net, and Leigha (Baldwin) really stepped up big today when we needed offense the most. Proud of our Warriors!!
"
Wayne State 3, Northern Michigan 2
HOW IT HAPPENED (-23, 21-25, 21-25, -9, -15)
- Wayne State hit .274 for the match with 69 kills, 23 errors and 168 total attacks.
- Northern Michigan's output was .173 with 57 kills, 26 miscues and 179 attempts.
- WSU improved to 10-1 this campaign when hitting at least .240 as a squad.
- The Warriors' most efficient set was the first at .382 (18, 5, 34).
- The Wildcats' best period was the second at .303 (13, 3, 33).
- As Koth mentioned, Kayla Giroux was sensational once again.
- With 20 kills, Giroux reached that many in a match for the seventh time in her career and fourth instance this season.
- Not only that, but the senior did so efficiently with only four errors on 37 total attacks for a .432 hitting percentage.
- Defensively, the veteran middle blocker stuffed eight attempts, six of which were by herself.
- Giroux was one of four Warriors to notch double-digit kills along with Leigha Baldwin (15, .522), Paige Giehtbrock (13, .137) and Lauren Essenpreis (10, .115).
- Running point was Kayla Dulgar with 56 assists, the 12th match of her career with at least 50 and fifth this fall.
- Behind the service line, Dulgar was the lone Warrior with multiple service aces (three), giving her nine for the week.
- Defensively, both Essenpreis (team/season-high 21 digs) and Giehtbrock (14 digs) finished with a double-double.
- That marked their third and fifth double-doubles of the season, respectively.
- For Giehtbrock, the junior is up to 15 double-double efforts for her career.
- Above the net, joining Giroux with multiple blocks were Katerina Stout with three (two solo), Baldwin with two (one solo) and Dulgar with two (both assisted).
LEADING THE WARRIORS
UP NEXT
Wayne State will play a home match for the first time in nearly three weeks when it hosts 14th-ranked Ferris State on Halloween night inside the Matthaei Center beginning at 7 p.m.
