University Center, MI — UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team battled back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Parkside in five sets Saturday afternoon inside Hamilton Gymnasium. The Cardinals (11-3, 5-1 GLIAC) took the opening set 25-23 before dropping the next two, 25-18 and 25-20. SVSU responded with a 25-21 win in the fourth and finished the comeback with a 15-12 victory in the deciding set. The opening set was tied at 17-17 before SVSU used a four-point run highlighted by an ace from Taylor Smith (Pewamo, Mich., Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools), a block from Marissa Roe (Chesterton, Ind., Chesterton HS) and Rachel Townsend (Oxford, Mich., Oxford HS), and a Roe kill to build a 21-17 advantage. Parkside answered with five straight to take a 22-21 lead, but Roe responded with three kills over the final four Cardinal points to secure the 25-23 win. Parkside controlled much of the second set, jumping out to a 12-4 advantage before taking the frame 25-18. The Rangers carried that momentum into the third, building an 18-10 lead. Saginaw Valley cut the deficit to four late, but Parkside held on for the 25-20 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the match. The Cardinals responded in the fourth behind a strong stretch at the service line from Smith. Leading 11-9, SVSU scored five consecutive points on Smith's serve, including a Townsend kill, a Cola Sisk (Lake Fenton, Mich., Lake Fenton HS) kill and a Sisk-Roe block, to extend the advantage to 16-9. Parkside later pulled within 23-21, but a service error and Townsend kill forced a fifth set with a 25-21 win. Neither side could create separation early in the fifth, which featured seven ties. The teams were even at 11-11 before Sisk put the Cardinals back in front with a kill. Ava Decker (Elkhart, Ind., Elkhart HS) followed with a kill to make it 13-11, and after Parkside pulled within one, a service error gave SVSU match point. Smith then finished the comeback with a kill for the 15-12 victory. Townsend led the Cardinals with 22 kills on a .268 hitting percentage and added 22 digs for a double-double. Roe finished with 13 kills while hitting .324 and added six blocks. Sisk provided a spark with eight kills on a .273 hitting percentage and 10 digs in three sets. Smith totaled 45 assists and 11 digs for a double-double. She also posted seven blocks while Chloe Vanwinkle (Clio, Mich., Clio High School) matched Townsend with 22 digs. Kendall White (DeWitt, Mich., St. John's HS) added 19 digs as the Cardinals finished with 99 as a team. SVSU also held a 12-6 advantage in total blocks and a 7-3 edge in service aces. Up Next: Cardinal volleyball heads to Northwood on Tuesday, September 29 for a non-conference match at 7 PM. Afterwards, SVSU heads to Big Rapids, Michigan to face off against No. 1 Ferris State on Friday, October 2. First Serve between the Cardinals and Bulldogs is set for 5 PM at the Ewigleben Sports Arena.