ALPENA — In an emotional farewell to their home court on Thursday night, the Alpena Wildcats battled with everything they had but ultimately fell to the Cadillac Vikings in three sets, 23-25, 10-25, 12-25, in their final home match of the season.

The night honored seniors Paige Samp, Ashlyn Gray, Kaila Girard, and Laura Poli, who set the tone early with high energy and leadership. Alpena came out locked in during the opening set, matching Cadillac point for point in long, intense rallies.

Defensively, the Wildcats were outstanding early. Emily VanHorn, Laura Poli, and Ashlyn Gray each delivered multiple clutch saves that kept rallies alive in high-pressure moments. Offensively, Paige Samp attacked aggressively at the net with strong spikes, many of which nearly powered through Cadillac’s blockers but were just contained before crossing back over. Kaila Girard brought momentum with forceful spikes and a serving run that Cadillac struggled to return, including multiple unanswerable serves.

Alpena’s energy and communication fueled a back and forth battle in the opening set, but the Vikings edged ahead late to take it 25-23.

The Wildcats had used up much of their energy early, and Cadillac controlled the tempo in the second and third sets, winning 25-10 and 25-12. Still, Alpena continued to compete with heart until the final whistle a fitting effort for a senior class that has anchored the program with resilience and leadership.

The Wildcats now head on the road for their regular season finale, an away matchup at Petoskey Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.