ALPENA, MI – After splitting a nonconference trip, the Norse Volleyball Team (9-8, 3-3 MCCAA) swept the Alpena Community College Lumberjacks (1-11, 0-6 MCCAA) by scores of 25-16, 25-18, and 25-14.
On Friday the Norse beat Blackhawk Technical College 3-0 (25-21, 25-6, 25-12). After a close first set Bay cruised in the last two, committing just four attack errors combined in sets two and three on a total of 68 attack attempts.
Ava Maki (FR, Marquette, MI) led the Norse with nine kills. Mia Hauser (SO, Wallace, MI) added eight kills and nine digs. Jade Jasenovsky (SO, Menominee, MI) led the Norse defense with 12 digs. Hope Varoni (FR, Bark River, MI) had 31 assists.
On Saturday Bay visited Milwaukee Area Tech (22-5). The Stormers outlasted the Norse 31-29 in the first set, but Bay bounced back to take set number two by a score of 25-20. It was all MATC from there as they won the final two sets 25-16 and 25-17. The Stormers put together a .478 attack percentage in the third set to take control of the match, and finished with a .286 percentage in the final set.
Hauser and Maki had six kills apiece to lead Bay. Varoni picked up 35 assists, while Jasenovsky had 23 digs. Varoni added ten digs.
On Monday night the Norse had to survive an Alpena comeback to take the first set. Up by as many as eight in the early going a Lumberjack timeout triggered a comeback, but Bay was able to squelch that and come out on top. In the second set it would be the Norse defense that controlled the match as they put up 25 digs as a team and had just one receiving error. Bay put together their most efficient attack in the third set, connecting on 14 of 45 attacks with just four errors to put away their host.
Hauser picked up a double-double, leading the offense with 11 kills and picking up 11 digs. Addie Morton (SO, Ishpeming, MI) added eight kills while Haylee Gatien (FR, Powers, MI) had seven. Varoni had 32 assists on the night.
Defensively Jasenovsky led the way again with 15 kills, while Varoni picked up 14. Gatien was a force at the net with three solo and one assisted block.
"We needed to apply consistent pressure on them and not give away the game with errors," said Head Coach Dan Porath. "I thought we did a good job of that tonight. We are still trying to play aggressive, error-free volleyball. We have been aggressive so far this year, but a few too many errors. Today we were better at limiting those. I thought we played well today."
The Norse will return home on Wednesday evening to host Montcalm Community College. Bay won the first matchup on the road between the two on September 15 in three straight sets (25-15, 25-15, 27-25). That match will start at 6:30 pm.