MARQUETTE – After playing a pair of five-set matches at Vandament Arena in Marquette Saturday, the Northern Michigan University women’s volleyball team finished the Wildcat Open with a 3-1 record.

“I’m very proud of our players and their comeback win against Fort Hays,” head coach Dominic Yoder said. “It really showed a lot of character, especially in the environment we had to play in.”

The Wildcats rallied from a two-set deficit to dispatch Fort Hays State, 3-2, in their second game of the day.

After winning the third set in commanding fashion, 25-14, NMU earned a hard-fought 25-21 victory in the fourth set to force a decisive fifth set.

There, the Wildcats posted a .444 hitting percentage and limited the Tigers to a .167 percentage in a 15-8 victory.

Kayla Chosa led all players with 21 kills, while NMU teammate Lisa Studnicka also reached the double digits with 10.

Alex Berger posted 19 digs to lead all players, with Jami Hogeboom posting a Northern-best 27 assists.

Overall, the Wildcats recorded a .221 hitting percentage and limited the Tigers to a .148 percentage.

Michigan Tech, which posted a 4-0 record, won the tournament.

NMU finished tied for second with Upper Iowa.

“Hat’s off to Michigan Tech for winning the tournament,” Yoder said.

In their opener Saturday,the Wildcats were dealt their first loss of the season when they fell in five sets to Upper Iowa.

The Wildcats lost 25-15, 21-25, 26-24, 12-25, 12-15.

Studnicka led NMU with 19 kills, while Chosa chipped in 14 kills and three solo blocks, and Alex Berger contributed 28 digs.

NMU took an early 8-0 lead off five kills in the first set and controlled it the rest of the way.

Upper Iowa got off to a good start in the second frame, going up by nine points at one points before knotting the match at 1-1.

The third set was a dogfight at the start before Upper Iowa started to pull away.

However, NMU came back from a four-point deficit late in the frame to tie the score before winning on a kill by Berger.

The fourth frame was similar to the second as Upper Iowa jumped out to a quick advantage before winning by 13 points.

The fifth and deciding set saw the Peacocks finishing the match on a kill by Bethany Lovhaug.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writers Ryan Stieg and Craig Remsburg. Their email address is sports@miningjournal.net.