FINDLAY, Ohio---The Northern Michigan volleyball team's season came to an end in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals, as second-seeded Findlay posted a 3-1 victory over the Wildcats Wednesday night at Croy Gymnasium.
 

"I'm very proud of my team and especially our seniors," head coach Dominic Yoder said. "They left their hearts on the floor and gave Northern Michigan everything they had tonight."

After winning the first set, 25-22, Northern Michigan fell to the Oilers in the next three by slim 25-23, 25-21 and 25-23 margins.

In the first set, the Wildcats posted a .484 hitting percentage, and Madison Whitehead recorded five kills. When Findlay rallied from a four-point deficit to tie the game at 19-19, Northern Michigan responded by winning the next four points to put the set out of reach.

The Wildcats opened the second set by building a 4-1 lead, but the Oilers responded by going on a 9-6 run to tie the game at 10 apiece. From that point on, the teams traded points, being locked in a tie six times. At one point, Northern Michigan fell behind, 19-16, but, after a timeout, the Wildcats won four of the next five points to tie the game at 20 all.

With Northern Michigan ahead, 23-22, Findlay forced a side out and won the next two points to tie the match at 1-1.

The third set was also a back-and-forth affair. In the middle of the set, the Oilers turned their two-point lead into a more comfortable six-point cushion, at 17-11, by winning four-straight points. While the Wildcats regrouped, they never pulled back within a single point.

Northern Michigan came out strong in the fourth set, building a 13-9 edge. But the Oilers closed the gap with Kara Scherger serving and then kept poring it on en route to a 20-16 advantage. A Lisa Studnicka service ace capped a three-point run by the Wildcats that brought them back within one, but they couldn't tie the game again.

Studnicka and Whitehead each posted 15 kills while Kayla Chosa added 12. Jami Hogeboom recorded 49 assists. Overall, Northern Michigan posted a .289 hitting percentage.

The Wildcats finish the 2015 campaign with a 21-10 (10-8 GLIAC) record, reaching the 20-win plateau for the third time in five years.