Northern Michigan University's Jacquelyn Smith, top right, fires a shot through the triple defense of Saginaw Valley State blockers, from left, Peyton Gerstacker, Patricia Pratt and Madison Thompson, for a kill in the first set of their GLIAC Tournament volleyball quarterfinal match held at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

BIG RAPIDS — The Northern Michigan University volleyball team had a small salve for its wounds after it was knocked out in the semifinals of the GLIAC Tournament on Friday at the home of Ferris State.

That was when Wildcats sophomore Jacqueline Smith was named to the GLIAC all-tournament team.

But a better soother for its pain of missing the conference championship match came on Sunday, when NMU was named to the 64-team field of the NCAA Division II national tournament.

In the conference semifinals, No. 6 seed Grand Valley State sent No. 2 NMU packing with a five-set victory, 17-25, 25-23, 25-22, 24-26, 16-14.

In Friday’s other semi, Ferris beat Michigan Tech in four sets, 20-25, 25-21, 27-25, 26-24, then came back Saturday and beat GVSU in the finals in five sets, 25-16, 25-23, 20-25, 17-25, 19-17.

After that came Smith’s naming to the six-player all-tourney team before Sunday’s big news that the Wildcats made it with an at-large bid in the Midwest Region of the NCAAs.

Smith was joined on the all-tourney team by MTU’s Meg Rabe, Ferris’ Kaylee Maat and Claire Nowicki and Grand Valley’s Jordyn Gates and Mattie McCabe.

Maat also earned tourney MVP honors.

For the NCAA tourney, it’s apparent that Northern was one of the last teams chosen as the Wildcats are the No. 8 seed in the eight-team Midwest Region despite a 23-8 record.

NMU finished in second place in the GLIAC with a 14-4 conference mark.

Because of its eighth seed, the Wildcats have to face No. 1 Midwest seed Quincy (26-5) in its opening match on Quincy’s home floor at 8:30 p.m. EST Thursday.

The only other current GLIAC school to make the field was regular season and tournament champion Ferris (24-9), which earned the No. 3 seed in the Midwest.

Several former GLIAC schools are in the field, however, including Ferris’ first-round opponent, No. 6 Ashland (23-8).

Ex-GLIAC member Hillsdale (27-6) made the Midwest Region as the No. 7 seed and would face NMU in the second round if Northern wins and the Chargers can knock off No. 2 Lewis (22-8).

The other Midwest first-round match pits No. 4 Rockhurst (20-7) vs. No. 5 Missouri-St. Louis (21-6).

Both Hillsdale and Missouri-St. Louis swept NMU 3-0 in the Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover in Hammond, Indiana, in mid-October, while the Wildcats managed to win just one set in two matches against Ferris during the fall.

The other former GLIAC member making the NCAA tournament is Gannon, which won the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Region with a 26-5 record.

Back in the GLIAC tournament, NMU reached the semifinals by dispatching No. 7 Saginaw Valley State in four sets at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Wednesday.

In the semis vs. GVSU, Smith led the Wildcats’ offense with 25 kills while also contributing 15 digs and a service ace.

Teammate Rayne Thompson added 20 kills and five blocks, while Alli Yacko led in digs with 18, Olivia Webber in blocks with six and Lauren Van Remortel in assists with 53.

Yacko and Madeline Crowley each had two aces.

For GVSU, Gates led her team in kills and digs with 18 of each.

In the opening set, Northern jumped out early with an 8-1 run to take a 12-5 lead. In that streak, Smith had three kills and Yacko two aces.

The teams traded points for awhile, preserving NMU’s lead, until the Wildcats used another 5-0 string to go up 23-13 as Smith had two kills and Crowley an ace.

While the Lakers answered with its own four points in a row, Northern closed out the set with a Smith kill and GVSU attack error.

The Wildcats didn’t trail in the second set until the Lakers scored three in a row to go up 13-11.

Multiple ties included 23-23 late in the set before GVSU finished it off to even the match with an NMU attack error and Gates kill.

In the pivotal third set, the teams traded the lead back and forth until NMU had a 6-1 run to make it 13-9 as Thompson had a pair of kills and one each from Smith, Lizzy Stark and Ania Hyatt.

The lead lasted until GV tied it 17-17, which was followed by three more ties before the Lakers took the lead for good at 21-20.

But Northern stayed within a point at 22-21 and 23-22 before an NMU service error and Kendall Stover kill ended it.

Requiring a win in the fourth set to stay in the match, NMU fell behind 18-14 after a 7-1 GVSU run.

While the Lakers nursed that to triple set and match point with a 24-21 lead, the Wildcats responded with the final five points of the set, led by a Lizzy Stark kill and four straight GVSU attack errors.

The fifth set was also hotly contested, with the Lakers first taking control at 8-5 with four straight points, then NMU responding with a 4-1 run to take a 14-13 lead as Thompson gave Northern its first match point.

But GVSU scored three in a row, two on NMU errors, to end the set and match but not the Wildcats’ season.

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