Michigan Tech setter Tess Hayes (10) prepares a ball for middle blocker Rachel Zurek (17) during a match against Lake Superior State on Saturday, Nov. 11, at the SDC Gym in Houghton.

HOUGHTON — In some ways, 2023 was a trying season for the Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team. In other ways, it was an incredible chance for several young players to cut their teeth in real time, playing key sets in key matches.

There were incredible injuries that thrust players into the spotlight at different moments, there were moments where veterans stepped in and led the way. In the end, the Huskies went 15-16 overall, seeing their season end in the GLIAC semifinals against Grand Valley State, a team they split with during the regular season.

While they did not win as many matches as they wanted to last season, coach Matt Jennings felt there was much to be proud of.

“It’s interesting, (it was) the first season I can remember where we beat at least every team at least one time,” he said. “That was the GLIAC overall. The GLIAC really beat up on each other, and for us to make it to the semifinal was about right. I think the top four teams in the league played in the semifinal.

“The difference from last year to other years was when we were very young, very, very, very young. We had some injuries, not just Makena (Wesol), but Meg (Raabe) was late to the game, Lindy (Oujiri) at the end of the year. But then, also, the big difference is we beat Grand Valley here in three. We beat Ferris (State) on the road for the first time in my career, but then we lost games we shouldn’t have.”

Jennings had a very simple reason for the struggles.

“I chalk that up to youth and where we were as a team,” he said. “We were probably the best under-.500 team in the region, and we were right there. We beat a lot of other good teams. We just were, between the difficulty of our schedule early on by design, and also our youth and injuries, I think kind of led us where we were. But, I was glad the way we ended. I think that we were definitely worthy of that semifinal spot.”

The youth Jennings speaks of was on display in every set last season.

“There were points last year where we had six freshmen on the court all at once,” Jennings said. “We had the Freshman of the Year as our setter. She’s only getting better. Rachel (Zurek) in the middle as a freshman, returns as All-Conference (Honorable Mention).”

On top of that youth movement, key veterans return as well.

“Kaycee (Meiners), best blocker in the league, she comes back for a fifth year,” said Jennings. “Meg Raabe, All-Conference by the end of the season, was our top attacker. She comes back only as a junior, so we’re loaded.

“We have a really nice mix of players coming back with good experience on top of some pretty solid additions, (including) two transfers. That should help us out right away. I love the makeup of the team, both ability-wise and personality, character-wise, for sure.”

Wesol’s injury so early into the 2023 was a big part of thrusting so much pressure onto young players last season. The junior played in just six sets before falling and suffering a lower-body injury that ended her season.

“Makena’s injury last year was difficult on a lot of levels,” Jennings said. “As much as she brings, performance-wise, no one plays harder than Makena. So, when you lose that kind of energy, especially how young we were last year, that’s where it was. “I think we have a group of pin hitters that are going to challenge Makena, (and) challenge Megan. We have a group of pins that are really good. Makena’s energy, and how hard she plays, is impossible to duplicate. We love that kid to death, and she’s made great progress.”

Wesol’s return should help take some of the pressure off of Raabe, who is the top returning outside hitter. Now a junior, Raabe racked up 290 kills last season, at an average of 3.45 per set.

“If you look at her trajectory at the end of last year, when she put out 30, something like that, she had a 30 hitting .350 against, what was it, Northern,” said Jennings. “I mean, she can go off, and she has an ability to hit shots that no one else on our team can do. She has an ability to find the court in a big way. So, we’re expecting a lot from her.

“She’s been selected as one of our captains this year. I think she’s really thrived in that role. As soon as she got to campus, we kind of saw the leadership capacity that she had, and she’s certainly come through on that end, for sure.”

Alongside Wesol and Raabe, sophomores Brynn Erickson, Jacqueline Yancy and Kate Loch will be joined by freshman Cameron Herman once she recovers from an offseason injury. Along with that youth is transfer Abbi Perkins, who played four years at Aquinas College, and plays the right side.

In the middle, Meiners leads the way in her fifth season with the Huskies.

“I say this just with all due respect to every other middle I’ve coached, Kaycee is the best middle we’ve ever had here,” said Jennings. “She’s consistent. She’s reliable. There were so many plays last year where we would be dead in the water and she just come (and make) a big block for us right when we needed it. I mean, her ability to be clutch for us is huge.

“Last year was her first year as a leader official. Man, has she taken that role to another level. She is definitely the senior on the team and has her players in a good spot, for sure.”Alongside Meiners for much of last season was Zurek, who forced her way into the lineup in a big way. She put up 191 kills, 16 solo blocks, and 64 block assists.

“What we learned also in the spring is that she’s athletic enough to probably play right side for us, but her play in the middle was impossible to change,” Jennings said. “I mean, she’s the most athletic player on our team. To think that she was scoring the way she was, it wasn’t just like the amount of points, it was how she was earning them, and how she was producing those kills.

“To think that she’s only gonna be a sophomore is very exciting.”

Sophomore Tricia Kennedy, in part due to the injury to Wesol, was tasked with playing the right side, rather than her more natural middle blocker spot. She did well with the job, racking up 126 kills in the process. This season, she should return to her more natural position.

With so many offensive weapons, sophomore Tess Hayes has options as the team’s starting setter. In her first season leading the offense, she was outstanding, putting up 1,085 assists, and even picking up 44 kills. She proved to be a worthy successor to Laura De Marchi, and Jennings believes she is only scratching the surface of her ability.

“This goes for all 12-13 years here, I haven’t had a more poised freshman than Tess, with the exception of maybe Laura, so there it is,” he said. “At the same position, Tess, at 18, was playing like a 21 year old out there, just mentally and humble. (She) listens, understands, (she is) very smart, just does her job the right way. You look at her, and she’s not very tall, but she got the job done in the front row. There was no point where we were like, ‘Should we try to hide her up there?’

“Tess comes from a great background volleyball-wise, so we know what we have there. We’ve already seen it in the spring, the improvement she’s made from last year. Again, she’s stepping into the court next year as a sophomore. I mean, this is exciting stuff. Tess is a great player.”

One area where the Huskies really struggled last season was in the back court, where it took a large chunk of the season for the team to find a trio that worked well together. In the end, the defense got better in the latter stages of the year as then-freshman Amelia Albers settled into the libero role. She will be joined again this season by juniors Brooke Dzwik and Alayna Corwin. Raabe, Wesol, Erickson and Yancy could all chip in as six-rotation hitters as well, which gives the Huskies some much-needed depth in the back court.

Albers became the first freshman libero the Huskies stuck with since Jacqueline Aird, and once she found her footing, things improved quickly for the Black and Gold.

“Other than Jackie Aird, Amelia was the first freshman libero we’ve ever rolled with and that is a huge ask, getting caught up to the speed of the game,” Jennings said. “She’s, without question, our best passer, and that in large part, got her into that position.

“I think we look to her again to start the season at libero. Her defense has improved quite a bit. She’s catching up to the speed of things, and I think the structure, the system we employ this year defensively ought to suit her skill set a little bit better. It’s stuff like that, I think, that we need to really get in place for us to be successful.”

The Huskies will open this season at the Classic at Mines tournament on Sept. 6 and 7 in Golden, Colorado, where they will face Regis, Gannon, Colorado Mesa, and Colorado Mines. Mines was the only program of the four that did not make the NCAA Tournament last season, but they are a traditional tournament squad year after year.

After that, the Huskies return home to face Minnesota-Duluth, Finlay and St. Cloud State in the UP North Tournament on Sept. 13 and 14.“We do not have a break,” said Jennings. “If we come out of these first two weekends over .500, heads will be turned, for sure. Whatever way we come out, we will be well prepared for the GLIAC.”

The Huskies will open the GLIAC portion of their schedule on Friday, Sept. 20, at Purdue Northwest. They will host Ferris State, Davenport, Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State in the first half of the GLIAC season before seeing newcomer Roosevelt.

After the Midwest Regional Crossover, the Huskies head on the road to face Wayne State and Grand Valley State before returning home to face Northern Michigan on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The Huskies will close with four matches on the road against Davenport, Ferris State, Saginaw Valley State and Lake Superior State.