MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team closed out its 2025 season on the road Saturday afternoon, falling 3–1 to Northern Michigan at Vandament Arena. The Wildcats won by set scores of 25–18, 25–17, 23–25, and 32–30.

The Cardinals (8–20, 2–14 GLIAC) totaled 50 kills, 65 digs, nine total blocks, and five aces in the season finale. Rachel Townsend (Oxford, Mich. / Oxford HS) led the offense with 15 kills while hitting .283, adding seven digs and two block assists. Emily Foster (Ferndale, Mich. / Ferndale HS) followed with 12 kills, and Alena Whittaker (Grand Haven, Mich. / Grand Haven HS) added three kills and three block assists in two sets played. Marissa Roe (Valparaiso, Ind. / Chesterton HS) contributed four kills and five total blocks, while Liz Bruschuk (Villa Park, Ill. / Willowbrook HS) recorded 12 digs, two aces, and two assists. Jackie Scheiber (Wyandotte, Mich. / Riverview Community HS) finished with 42 assists, seven digs, and three block assists.

Set One (18–25)

SVSU opened strong with a 11–7 lead behind early kills from Townsend, Foster, and Finley Helm (Mount Pleasant, Mich. / Mount Pleasant HS), but Northern Michigan responded with an 12-3 run fueled by tough serving from Liesl Haugen and kills from Kaysie Bakke and McKenzie Gruner. The Wildcats controlled the final stretch to take the opener 25–18.

Set Two (17–25)

The second set was tight early with SVSU leading 5-3, but NMU's front line took over midway through with a 6-0 run to go ahead 16-11. Saginaw Valley got two kills from Ruby Earl (Howell, Mich. / Howell HS) late, but a 5-0 run for the Wildcats claimed the second set.

Set Three (25–23)

SVSU battled back in the third, using a late surge to extend the match. After trailing 20–17, the Cardinals used a 7-0 run to keep the season alive with consecutive kills from Roe, an ace by Bruschuk, and a block by Scheiber and Roe. Northern Michigan scored three unanswered points afterwards, but an attacking error gave SVSU the set.

Set Four (30–32)

The final set was the highest scoring of the season for Saginaw Valley, featuring 15 ties and seven lead changes. SVSU took the slim lead at 21-20 with a 5-0 run as the teams traded points. The Cardinals had the chance to win at 24-23, 26-25, and 30-29, but the Wildcats took the final three points to win the match.

Up Next: The match concludes the 2025 season for Saginaw Valley volleyball, which finishes with an 8–20 overall record and 2–14 mark in GLIAC play. The Cardinals won two more matches in 2025 and went 5-4 in neutral site matches. Townsend finishes as the team leader in kills with 343 and digs with 254.