UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team opened its home schedule with a 3–1 win over rival Northwood on Tuesday night at Hamilton Gymnasium. It's the first win for SVSU over NU since 2021 and their second win in the last seven meetings.
The Cardinals (5-6, 0-2 GLIAC) earned the victory by set scores of 25-13, 17-25, 25-17, and 26-24. Rachel Townsend (Oxford, Mich. / Oxford HS) paced the offense with 13 kills and three service aces while adding 14 digs for a double-double. Ella Lochbiler (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota HS) chipped in 11 kills, and Chloe Vanwinkle (Clio, Mich. / Clio HS) finished with eight kills and two aces. Ava Decker (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart HS) added seven kills and six total blocks, and Kendall Ihm (Owosso, Mich. / Owosso HS) anchored the net with five block assists and two solo blocks. Jackie Scheiber (Wyandotte, Mich. / Riverview Community HS) directed the attack with 38 assists to go with an ace and 10 digs. In the back row, libero Kendall White (DeWitt, Mich. / St. John's HS) posted a match-high 24 digs and two aces.
SVSU finished with 46 kills, nine aces, 63 digs, and 13 total blocks while holding Northwood to a .108 hitting percentage.
Set One (25–13)
The Cardinals jumped out quickly and used a 7-1 run midway through to create separation. Vanwinkle and Lochbiler provided early kills, while White, and Scheiber each delivered service aces. Ihm and Decker combined for three blocks late as SVSU pulled away for the opening set win.
Set Two (17–25)
Northwood responded, taking advantage of SVSU's attack errors. The Timberwolves used a 8-0 stretch, eventually building a double-digit lead. Townsend tallied five kills in the frame, but the Cardinals hit .000 and dropped the set 25-17.
Set Three (25–17)
SVSU regrouped in the third behind Townsend's steady offense and balanced contributions from Lochbiler and Decker. White steadied the defense with nine digs in the set, while the Cardinals' front row added four blocks. A late 7-2 spurt capped by a Vanwinkle ace gave SVSU a 23-15 lead before a 2-0 run for both teams ended the set.
Set Four (26–24)
The final set featured nine ties and plenty of drama. 5-0 runs by both teams flipped leads before the Timberwolves jumped ahead. Northwood held a 24–21 lead before SVSU reeled off five straight points to close the match. The winning run started with a Lochbiler kill and featured two blocked by Lochbiler and Ihm, ending the match on a block as well.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley hosts their first GLIAC match of the season on Thursday, September 25. The Cardinals welcome Lake Superior State with first serve set for 6:00 PM from the Hamilton Gymnasium.
