Northern Michigan University’s Alli Yacko, front, digs the ball in the first set as teammate Madeline Crowley looks on during a GLIAC volleyball match against Grand Valley State played in the Vandament Arena in Marquette on Sept. 9. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

MARQUETTE — The big “M” in volleyball that stands for momentum is swinging the way of Northern Michigan University right about now as the Wildcats prepare for a home weekend against a pair of GLIAC foes.

NMU is 9-1, including 2-0 in the conference after a pair of three-game sweeps last weekend at home. The Wildcats host Lake Superior State in Vandament Arena at 7 p.m. today and Ferris State at 3 p.m. Saturday.

One of last weekend’s victories came on Friday against Grand Valley State, the No. 1 pick in the league’s preseason coaches poll.

Adding in another 3-0 shutout of Davenport on Saturday, it wasn’t too surprising that the Wildcats swept all three GLIAC player of the week awards.

Sophomore Meghan Meyer was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week after posting 20 kills, an average of 3.33 per set, while adding in three blocks. She leads the conference in hitting percentage at .506.

Junior Alli Yacko won GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week after surpassing the career 1,000-dig mark over the weekend, posting 27 digs in the two matches for an average of 4.5 per set. Third in the league in digs with 159, she also made two service aces.

And junior Lauren Van Remortel was named GLIAC Setter of the Week by tallying 76 sets in the two matches, also making three kills vs. GVSU.

For the previous week, Aug. 29-Sept. 4, senior Jacqueline Smith earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week. She had 71 kills in a pair of four-match tournaments, including the NMU Open to begin the season, while serving seven aces and making 50 digs. She also led the conference in total kills and kills per set at that point.

Then during last week’s match vs. Grand Valley, Smith reached the 1,000-kill plateau in her collegiate career.

Smith was on the GLIAC First Team last season, with Meyer and senior Lizzy Stark making the Second Team.

With the conference season just starting, NMU is in a three-way tie for first place at 2-0. But the Wildcats have the best overall record as their two conference wins are over teams with the next two best records — Davenport is 8-3 while GVSU joins Wayne State with 7-3 marks.

Looking at this weekend’s opponents, LSSU has struggled this season and Ferris has had mixed success. The Lakers are only 1-9 overall and 0-2 in the GLIAC, but NMU and Lake State split their two meetings a year ago as the Wildcats lead the overall series 89-18.

Ferris is 2-0 in the conference but only 4-6 overall as Northern lost to the Bulldogs in the GLIAC Tournament last season after the Wildcats won their only meeting of the regular season. The conference tourney match makes the difference in their all-time series that Ferris leads by the slimmest of margins, 51-50.

Fans can follow both matches with live statistics this weekend at bit.ly/3A5i5Uu and bit.ly/3TO1wWj.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.