UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team fell at home by a score of 3-2 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division matchup with the Northern Michigan University Wildcats.

The Cardinals jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead after posting a 25-16 victory in the opening set.  The Wildcats claimed the second frame by an identical 25-16 margin and took set number three by a score of 25-18, taking a 2-1 lead.  SVSU bounced back and was victorious in the fourth set, 25-17.  That set up a deciding fifth set for the contest.

In the final set, the Cards led by an 8-6 margin as the two teams switched sides at the midway point.  Northern fought back and eventually held a 14-11 lead, needing only a single point to close-out the match.  Saginaw Valley got three straight kills from junior middle hitter Ashley Driscoll to knot the game at 14-14, keeping the team alive.  The teams then traded points and were tied at 15 points apiece.  The Wildcats, however, got two straight points to close out the match and cliam the five-set league victory.

SVSU was led offensively by Driscoll, as she had 16 kills while hitting for a .265 percentage.

Freshman middle hitter Kaylee Schmitt had 12 kills, hitting at a .364 clip and adding three block assists.

Senior outside hitter Lyndsay Reynolds added eight kills and seven digs. 

Sophomore libero Brooke Tiller posted a match-high 19 digs in the contest.

Freshman setter Kelly Vellucci had 26 assists and a match-high three service aces.  Senior setter Nicole Adam added 23 helpers and seven digs.

With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 16-12 overall in 2013 with an 8-9 record in the GLIAC.  Northern improves to 21-9 overall and 14-3 in league play.

SVSU is back in action tomorrow, as it hosts the Michigan Tech University Huskies in a 2:00 pm tilt.  It will be senior day for the Cardinals, as they take the time to honor their three seniors on the 2013 squad.