That’s because the Wildcats haven’t had any of it on their Vandament Arena court despite being 10 matches and nearly a month into their season.

It’s shown to a certain extent as NMU is 1-9 overall and 0-2 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, though a tough slate that has included three nationally ranked opponents also couldn’t have helped.

Northern gets to show its prowess to the home faithful on back-to-back days, starting at 6 p.m. Friday against GLIAC foe Wisconsin-Parkside, then at 3 p.m. Saturday against the league’s newest member, Roosevelt.

Both matches will be broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point with streaming video online at FloCollege. Or stay connected with @NMU_Wildcats and @NMU_Volleyball on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for updates at any time. And also check out the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the volleyball schedule for links to live video, live statistics, ticket information and match previews.

Northern Michigan University’s Allie Barlow lunges for a dig in the first set of a GLIAC match played against Michigan Tech at the Vandament Arena in Marquette on Oct. 10, 2024. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

After this weekend, Northern doesn’t have another home match until Friday, Oct. 24, when the Wildcats host Grand Valley State. Counting this weekend, NMU still has nine home matches to play this fall.

“We just have to keep going and keep getting better,” Northern head coach Mike Lozier said in an NMU Sports Information release previewing the matches. “The minute we start to face adversity, I can feel our team tighten up, and I believe that is our problem.”

The road schedule opened with a pair of four-match tournaments, one the SpringHill Suites Invitational in Pensacola, Florida, and the other the Huskies Volleyball Classic in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Coupled with conference road matches at Davenport and Ferris State last week, the Wildcats have been swept 3-0 in their last eight matches, including vs. No. 10 St. Cloud State, No. 12 Ferris State and No. 15 Southwest Minnesota State.

NMU averages 11.3 kills and 10.7 assists per set, led by senior middle blocker McKenzie Gruner with 83 kills as Madison York has 69 and Kaysie Bakke 59. A half-dozen players have recorded a match with double-digit kills.

Last year’s GLIAC Second Team setter Allie Barlow has 283 assists, fifth best in the league.

On defense, Northern records 15.1 digs and 1.5 blocks per set, led by libero Lauren Cardwell with exactly 100 digs, while Allie Barlow has 80, Liesl Haugen 70 and Sydney Bartels 68.

Gruner leads the way in blocks with 24, with Emilia Gulock adding 21 and York 17, while Bartels paces NMU with 10 service aces as Cardwell, Haugen and Taylor Smaka each have eight.

Last season, the Wildcats debuted in the expanded and renovated Vandament Arena that now also hosts men’s and women’s basketball games.

The volleyball team went 8-2 there in 2024, including victories over both of this weekend’s combatants.

Overall, NMU finished 20-9 with a 13-4 GLIAC record for third place in the regular season before knocking off No. 6 seed Parkside in four sets in the GLIAC Tournament quarterfinals at Vandament.

This season, however, Parkside and Roosevelt couldn’t be going in more opposite directions. Parkside is off to its best start ever at 9-0, one of only 13 unbeaten teams left in NCAA Division II. The Rangers also received votes in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll.

And Parkside has had five GLIAC Players of the Week in just three weeks of recognition this season — two Offensive Players of the Week with Ava Irvin each time, two Defensive Players of the Week with Natalie Harris in both instances, and a Setter of the Week with Lucy Russ.

Harris is the reigning GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year and this season averages 5.46 digs per set to rank 14th in the country and No. 1 in the GLIAC, while Irvin tops the league with 139 kills, including 20 or more in a match twice.

The Rangers average 13.0 digs per set, 16th in the nation, and is in the top 50 in kills per set, opponent hitting percentage and blocks per set.

On the other hand, Roosevelt is 1-9 and 0-2, the same at NMU, getting its win against Kentucky Wesleyan at the Illinois-Springfield Invite.

The Lakers average 10.5 kills, 12.0 digs, 9.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per set, with Alessia Isgro having 68 kills and Lihi Zaibert 62, Cydney Martinez 103 digs, and Zaibert 17 blocks.

A year ago, Parkside was 11-16 overall and 7-9 in the GLIAC, while Roosevelt was last and missed the conference tourney at 4-22 and 2-14.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release previewing the matches

. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.