MARQUETTE, Mich.  – The Northern Michigan University volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set, but the comeback fell short as they fell to Tiffin University 3-2 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference matchup.

The Wildcats dropped the first two sets 25-23 and 26-24.  They then rebounded and captured a 25-16 victory in the third set and 25-17 win for the fourth set to take it to a deciding fifth set.  In the fifth set, the teams battled to a 6-6 tie, but the Dragons would go on a late run, winning the set 15-8 to capture a 3-2 match victory. 

Freshman Leticia Antunes (Florianapolis, Brazil/Colegio Ofelia Fonseca) led NMU with a 20-20 performance.  Antunes finished with a team-high 22 kills and tied for a team-best 20 digs.  Junior Rachel Braunschweig (Alamo, Calif./San Ramon Valley/Cape Fear CC) also posted 20 digs. 

Seniors Kayla Chosa (Wrightstown, Wisc.) and Madison Whitehead (Altoona, Wisc.) each notched 13 kills for the Wildcats.  Redshirt sophomore Sarah Kuehn (Green Bay, Wisc./De Pere) added 12 kills while junior Autumn Monsma (Grand Haven, Mich.) added nine. 

Senior Jami Hogeboom (Grand Haven, Mich.) totaled 62 assists and chipped in with 14 digs.  Monsma also aided the defense with 11 digs plus three block assists and a solo block.

Kuehn finished the match with six block assists and Whitehead added three block assists.  Chosa also posted a solo block, moving her career total to 95 solo blocks.

The Wildcats (11-5, 5-3 GLIAC) will look to rebound Saturday as they return to take on Ashland University in Vandament Arena.