SPRINGFIELD, Ill.---Northern Michigan University Volleyball came back from an 8-2 deficit in the fifth set to defeat University of Illinois-Springfield and go 4-0 in the Capital Classic.
 

The Wildcats captured the first set 25-19 and won the second set 26-24. However, the Prairie Stars rebounded and won the third set 25-21 and the fourth set 25-22 to send it to a deciding fifth set.
 

In the final set, the hosts jumped out early and held an 8-2 lead when the teams switched sides.  NMU fought back and eventually tied the set at 10-10 when the teams exchanged service errors and the score was tied again at 11-11.

Senior Autumn Monsma (Grand Haven, Mich.) and sophomore Leticia Antunes (Florianopolis, Brazil/Colegio Ofelia Fonseca) hit back to back kills to pull NMU ahead 13-11.
 

After UIS scored, Antunes notched another kill to make it 14-12. On the next point NMU suffered an attack error and made the score 14-13.  Senior Maggie Liebeck (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco) then smashed the game-winning kill to give NMU the 15-13 set win and the 3-2 match victory.  
 

Liebeck finished the match with a team high 20 kills and finished the weekend with 53 kills on a .404 hitting percentage.  Antunes added 17 kills for the match. Junior Sarah Kuehn (Green Bay, Wis./De Pere) chipped in with 15 kills while Monsma posted 14. 
 

Senior Lynzi Svoboda (Minneapolis, Minn. /Minneapolis Southwest) finished the match with a career-high 59 assists.  Antunes contributed three aces on the night while seniors Rachel Braunschweig (Alamo, Calif. / San Ramon Valley) and Jessica Skonning (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township)both had two.
 

Defensively, Braunschweig paced the team with 20 digs. Antunes and Monsma aided the effort with 15 digs each.  At the net, Kuehn finished with eight total blocks.

Earlier on Saturday, NMU beatCedarville University 3-0 in for their third win of the Capital Classic and are off to their best start since the 2010 season.
 

The Wildcats proved too much for the Yellow Jackets as they took the first two sets by the same 25-14 score.

Cedarville bounced back in the fourth set and won 25-19 but the Wildcats rebounded to capture the fourth set 25-19 and the match victory

Offensively, Sophomore Leticia Antunes (Florianopolis, Brazil/Colegio Ofelia Fonseca) and senior Maggie Liebeck (Luxemburg, Wis. / Luxemburg-Casco) led the team with 11 kills each.  Junior Sarah Kuehn (Green Bay, Wis./De Pere) added eight kills. 
 

Antunes also led the defense with 15 digs for her second double-double of the season.  Senior Autumn Monsma (Grand Haven, Mich.) chipped in with 13 digs while seniors Rachel Braunschweig (Alamo, Calif./San Ramon Valley) and Lynzi Svoboda (Minneapolis, Minn./ Minneapolis Southwest) both posted 10 digs each.
 

Svoboda also notched 31 assists for the match and got her second double-double of the season.
 

NMU benefitted from their serves as well, with  Monsma recording four aces and freshman Alli Yacko (Oak Lawn, Ill.) contributing two.

Friday night, NMU defeated Walsh University 3-0. Senior Autumn Monsma posted another double-double as she finished with 13 kills and 11 digs.  Sha also added two aces.

Junior Sarah Kuehn added 11 kills while senior Maggie Liebeck chipped in with 10.

Senior Lynzi Svoboda finished the match with 32 assists and added eight digs.

Senior Rachel Braunschweig led the defense with 19 digs.

NMU also beat McKendrie University, 3-1, earlier in the day on Friday.

NMU improves to 4-0 on the season.

The 'Cats will return to action and host the Wildcat Open Friday and Saturday in Vandament Arena. Friday afternoon the Wildcats take on University of Minnesota-Crookston then follow it with University of Minnesota-Duluth that evening. On Saturday, NMU hosts St. Cloud State University and Bemidji State University.