JOLIET, Ill. --- Despite playing much better than its first matchup against Judson University back in late February, the University of St. Francis women's volleyball team still came up on the short end of a 25-23 25-23, 25-21 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference decision to the Eagles on Thursday night at the Sullivan Center.
 

The loss snapped a three-match winning streak for the Saints (12-9, 9-6 CCAC).
 

Head coach Cara Currier's club built its biggest lead of the night when it went up 18-12 in the first set. Judson, however, answered with the next seven points, four of which came on St. Francis attacking errors. Ties ensued at 19, 20, 21 and 23 before Judson gained the final two points, including one on a kill by Kara Wicklund.
 

The Saints would play from behind for the better part of the rest of the night getting to within one point on multiple occasions in Sets 2 and 3, but just not able to take the lead.  St. Francis actually trailed 10-2 in the middle set before battling back to get within both 22-21 and 24-23 before Wicklund closed things out with one of her team-leading ten kills on the night.
 

In the third set, Judson opened up a pair of five-point leads with St. Francis again getting as close as one point three separate times (17-16, 18-17, 20-19), but again could not get over the hump to continue its winning ways.
 

After registering a minus-two percent attack reading in the first meeting between the two schools, the Saints posted a much better .185 hitting clip on Thursday. Judson (14-10, 9-6) was a solid .270. Both teams finished with 43 kills, but USF committed nine more errors (21-12).
 

Leading the offensive attack was Desiree Anderson (FR/Joliet, Ill.) with a match-high 11 kills and a .308 attack mark. She also produced two assist blocks. Brooklyn Withey (SR/Lapeer, Mich.) followed with ten kills.
 

Defensively, Hannah Monfre (SO/Franklin, Wis.) totaled 16 kills.

The Saints close out the week's play on Saturday (March 27) when they head to Palos Heights to face Trinity Christian College in a rematch of their Feb. 27 contest, which USF won in three sets.  The match is scheduled for 7 pm.