ESCANABA, MI – The Bay College Volleyball Team (11-15, 3-7) was victorious on multiple accounts on Tuesday evening. They swept the Finlandia Lions (2-19) in three straight sets by scores of 25-17, 25-15, and 25-18 to finalize their regular season schedule. The victory that does not show up in the standings is the "Volley for a Cure" event they hosted surrounding the match, which ended up raising over $1700 that was donated to a local cancer patient.
Kristee Arndt was selected as the recipient of this year's event. Kristee has just finished up chemo on her second bout with cancer. Kristee's son, Ryan Arndt, played basketball for the Norse during the 2018-2019 season, her daughter, Riley Arndt, played softball for the Norse in 2021, and her niece, Paige Welch was a member of the first ever women's basketball and softball teams at Bay. Paige played basketball from 2017-2019 and softball in 2019 and is currently in her second season as an assistant coach for the Women's Basketball Team.
Kristee seemed overwhelmed with emotion as she was presented a ceremonial check on the floor after the match as the volleyball team surrounded her and posed for pictures. The "Volley for a Cure" event was an overwhelming success and was an idea that was hatched and executed by the student-athletes. Norse Volleyball is hoping to continue the event every year.
On the court the Norse successfully avenged an earlier season loss to the Lions. Finlandia started off on an early run, taking a 9-4 lead before Bay started to build momentum. They would eventually cut the lead and tie the set at 14. Kylee Tadisch (FR, Coleman, WI) and Leah Allan (FR, Oconto, WI) combined for an assisted block to give the Norse their first lead of the evening. Finlandia managed to tie the set up once again, but Tori Jandt (FR, Peshtigo, WI) delivered an ace to give the Norse the lead back for good. With the energy building from a big crowd, Bay fed off the atmosphere going on a run. An all-out effort on a ball deflecting off the rafters turned into a Tianna Taylor (SO, Gwinn, MI) long volley from near the end line of the court that resulted in a point to make it 21-15 in favor of the Norse. Bay finished the first set on a 10-2 run to take a lead in the match.
The Norse held on to the momentum built in the first set and ran with it. Strong net play contributed to the Norse building a big lead. Two solo blocks and two assisted blocks, along with a long Amber Caylor (FR, Wausaukee, WI) serving run helped the home team amass a 17-6 lead. Bay cruised to a ten-point victory in the second set.
If the Lions were going to take any sort of momentum away from the Norse, the beginning of the third set was their best opportunity. The visitors grabbed an early 4-1 lead and found themselves locked in a tight battle. The two teams tied the score at seven, but Bay would take control again. Jandt added two more service aces to her total while Allan added another. Bay spread their attack around as three different players, Riley Johnson (FR, Chatham, MI), Emma Rutter (FR, Chatham, MI), and Tadisch ended up with three kills apiece in the third set. In the end the Norse took a decisive victory in the set and the match.
The match ends the regular season schedule for the Norse. They have qualified for the postseason as the fourth seed in the 2002 NJCAA Division II Great Lakes District B Volleyball Championship. They await the top seed from the western division. Currently Lake Michigan College (26-10, 9-2) sits atop the Western Conference Standings, but with one conference game to play for both them and Lansing Community College (13-15, 8-3) the results of those matches will determine the top seed from that division. The Norse will await the winner and prepare for that matchup which will be played on November 3 at 4 pm at St. Clair Community College. The tournament is a double-elimination style event that will determine who will advance to the National Championship.