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GAYLORD - The Alpena Wildcats varsity volleyball team defeated the Gaylord Blue Devils 3-2 in a Big North Conference volleyball match Thursday, winning the fifth set 17-15.
The match swung back and forth before the Wildcats closed it out. Gaylord reached match point twice, but Alpena answered with late defense and attacking to force and then win the deciding set.
Madelynn Cameron led Alpena with 17 kills. Emalee Parsons added six kills, and Lilly Rospierski had five.
Olivia Hitzelberger served four aces. Amelia Soltysiak and Grace Cameron each had three.
Soltysiak finished with 28 digs. Cameron had five blocks, and Rospierski added four.
"Victories in the Big North never come easy," coach Kolby Andrews said. "This was a great match, and it really showed the girls' ability to compete, overcome adversity, and execute when their backs were against the wall."
The Blue Devils had multiple opportunities to send the Wildcats home with a loss. Andrews said the team stepped up when it mattered most.
"Gaylord had two different match points that would have sent us home with a loss, but the girls answered the call with great defense and clutch attacking," Andrews said. "The girls really stepped up and fought when they needed to the most. I'm super proud of the way they played tonight."