UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. — In its first GLIAC match of the season, the Northern Michigan volleyball team outlasted Saginaw Valley State, 3-2, Friday night.

The Wildcats secured their third five-set victory of the season by winning the decisive set, 15-8. Northern Michigan opened that set by racing out to an 11-3 lead and then closed out the victory with three-straight kills by Marta Fraga Guntin.

"This was a great win for our team," head coach Dominic Yoder said. "I'm very proud of how consistently our team played from start to finish."

The Wildcats and Cardinals went to extra points in the first set. After Saginaw Valley State erased a 9-4 Northern Michigan advantage, the teams traded points and were tied eight times. Bridget Bussell ultimately sealed the Wildcats' 27-25 victory with a kill.

After the Cardinals rebounded to take the second set, 25-21, by finishing the set on an 8-4 run, Northern Michigan captured the third in extra points, 26-24.

Late in that third set, Saginaw Valley State won five-straight points to turn a 19-17 deficit into a 22-19 lead. The Wildcats responded by winning four of the next five points to tie the set at 23 apiece. A block by Fraga Guntin and Kayla Chosa and a kill by Madison Whitehead secured the win.

The Cardinals forced a fifth set by winning the fourth, 25-19. While Northern Michigan was able to overcome an early 10-4 disadvantage and pull within one point, at 18-17, Saginaw Valley State held on for the victory.

Whitehead paced the Wildcats with a .543 hitting percentage and 20 kills, six shy of her career high set during the Wildcat's upset of No. 1 Ferris State last year. It was her second career 20-kill performance.

Bussell (14), Chosa (13) and Fraga Guntin (11) also reached the double digits in kills. As a team, Northern Michigan recorded a .261 hitting percentage, including a .304 mark in the final set.

With 53 assists, Jami Hogeboom surpassed the 50-assist threshold for the third time this season and seventh time in her career. Megan Dahl finished with a team-high 25 digs, three shy of her career high.

"We had a great contribution from everyone with an outstanding offensive performance by Madison," Yoder said.

The Wildcats, now 6-4 (1-0 GLIAC), return to action tomorrow when they take on Lake Superior State at 3 p.m. in Sault Ste. Marie.