BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team was defeated by the No. 8 ranked Hillsdale Chargers today (11/12) by a 3-1 decision at Ewigleben Sports Arena on the campus of Ferris State University.

The Cardinals fell behind early in the first set when the Chargers went out to a 12-4 advantage. Hillsdale would go on to win the set 25-17 despite a .348 hitting percentage by Saginaw Valley.

The second game saw SVSU jump out to a slim 14-10 lead, but Hillsdale managed to knot it up the score at 15-15. The Cardinals took a 24-21 lead but the Chargers took the next two points before Annie Buxton won the set for SVSU with a soft attack that beat the Hillsdale defense to win the set 25-23 and tie up the match.

The Cardinals used their momentum to start the third set with a 5-1 lead before increasing the lead to 10-5 thanks to a Kate Czopek (Sterling Heights, Mich.) slam leading to a Charger timeout. However, Hillsdale battled back to take the lead and momentum at 17-16 midway through the third. The Chargers ultimately closed out the third set at 25-21 and took a 2-1 lead in the match.

The fourth set was all Chargers as they closed out to the Cardinals with a 25-13 victory and the 3-1 win.

The Cardinals were led by senior Becky Schroeder (Owosso, Mich./Northwood University) who earned Chili's "Player of the Match" honors with a team-high 16 kills and a .667 hitting percentage including four blocks. Fellow senior Annie Buxton (Aurora, Ont./Aurora SS) posted 13, five digs, three aces and three blocks, while junior Sam Breault (Bad Axe, Mich.) finished the match with 37 assists. Senior Katie Fitzgerald (Whitby, Ont./Sinclair SS) finished the match with seven kills, while sophomore Lyndsay Reynolds (Saline, Mich.) tallied five kills.

Saginaw Valley will wait to see if they qualify for the 2011 NCAA Division II Playoffs as the selection show will take place at 10 p.m. on Sunday (11/13).