MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State (LSSU) volleyball program (5-9, 2–4 GLIAC) fell to the Northern Michigan Wildcats (9-4, 5-1 GLIAC) by a final score of 3-1 on Saturday.

Morgan Deming (Boyne City, Mich.) opened up the match with a kill for the Lakers, but the Wildcats managed to push ahead with a 6-0 run. The Lakers were able to trim the lead with a 4-0 run of their own behind an ace from Vanessa Swerdon (Toronto, Ont.), but NMU was able to hold LSSU at bay for the remainder of the set to claim it by a score of 25-16. 

The Lakers opened the second set on a 6-1 run with a kill and a pair of service aces from Deming, and a pair of kills from Gia Waters (Minneapolis, Minn.) had LSSU leading 15-7. The Wildcats were able to claw back to tie up the score, but the Lakers refused to give up the lead, grinding out a second set victory by a score of 25-23, tying up the match. 

Northern Michigan got off to a hot start in the third set with a pair of early runs, and despite a late rally attempt that featured kills from Deming and Jordyn Haller (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.), the Wildcats took the set by a mark of 25-15.

Both teams battled throughout the third set with the Lakers keeping things close with multiple 3-0 scoring spurts. However, it would ultimately not be enough as NMU pulled away at the end to close out the set and the match by respective scores of 25-18 and 3-1.

Deming led the way for the Lakers in the stat sheet with 13 points on 8 kills, 3 solo blocks, and a pair of aces, and Mariana Velasque (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) added 8 kills of her own. Meanwhile, Swerdon notched 20 assists while Ally Lasley (Birch Run, Mich.) led her team in digs with 13.

The Lakers will now turn their attention to a battle with the Davenport Panthers in Grand Rapids on Friday, Oct. 11 with the first serve scheduled for 6 p.m.