Northern Michigan University’s Liesel Haugen readies for a serve by Wisconsin-Parkside during their GLIAC match played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Sept. 26. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The volleyball team at Northern Michigan University takes a break from conference action this weekend for a large multi-conference event hosted by a member of its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

But they jump right back into GLIAC matches next week and for the remaining month of the regular season.

So this weekend might be a nice treat for these Wildcats at the Midwest Crossover held at Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Indiana.

There are 38 teams from the GLIAC, Great Lakes Valley Conference and Great Midwest Athletic Conference converging — but no, NMU won’t have to play all 37 of the other teams there.

In fact, just two are on the schedule today — former GLIAC and now G-MAC member Findlay (Ohio) at 12:30 p.m. EDT and GLVC member Quincy (Illinois) at 5:30 p.m. EDT.

After those matches are played, a third match on Saturday will also be scheduled. For more about the participating teams and the schedule, visit the GLIAC webpage about the tourney at https://gliac.org/sports/2025/9/23/WVB_0923254908.aspx.

“Right now, we are experiencing what it feels like to be playing Wildcat volleyball,” Northern assistant coach Lauren Van Remortel said in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing this weekend. “Going into this weekend, we have a good idea of who we are and how we want to play.

“We are playing two good teams, but the expectations don’t change for us at all.”

With two season-opening tourneys under the belts against multiple nationally ranked teams, the Wildcats have a modest 7-9 overall record. But since starting the conference season, NMU is 5-2 in the GLIAC.

And Northern has played just two home matches, with seven of the nine after this weekend being at Vandament Arena in Marquette. The first of those is at 4 p.m. next Friday against conference leader Grand Valley State.

Junior libero Liesl Haugen has garnered plenty of attention during the Wildcats’ six-match win streak, the beginning of it coinciding with her return from injury. Not to mention she’s been been named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week both this week and last.

Most recently, she had an NMU near-record 38 digs in the five-set win at MTU, missing Northern’s all-time high by one while also setting the league top mark this season. She averages 5.0 digs per set, No. 2 in the GLIAC in conference matches.

Offensively, senior middle blocker McKenzie Gruner has a least a dozen kills in every match of the win streak, with five matches sporting an attack percentage of at least .300. She is No. 1 in GLIAC matches with her .385 attack percentage.

Freshman outside hitter Kaylie McIntosh averages 13.5 kills per match in her last four, including 19 vs. Tech, while her 0.5 service aces per set in No. 2 in the league. And junior setter Allie Barlow is fourth in the GLIAC with 9.88 assists per set.

A year ago, the Wildcats defeated Findlay in five sets at the Crossover, but the Oilers also downed Northern in last year’s home opener in Marquette.

NMU’s last encounter with Quincy was in the 2022 NCAA Division II tournament, a Hawks’ 3-0 victory.

Currently, Findlay is 12-2 overall and 6-1 in the G-MAC, receiving votes in the latest national Division II poll conducted by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Quincy is just about as good with 13-4 overall and 4-2 GLVC marks, with national top-30 team stats in kills and assists per set.

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.