MILWAUKEE --- In a match that featured 39 ties and 16 lead changes, the University of St. Francis women's volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit to claim a 26-28, 23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-12 victory over Cardinal Stritch University in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play on Tuesday night.

Gabriela Oliveira, Desiree Anderson, Hannah Pacheco and Abby Lab all delivered one of their best performances of the year in moving into a tie for third place in the league standings.  Lab led the way with her first collegiate double-double, authoring season highs in assists (21) and digs (12).  She also shared the team lead with her three service aces.

Lab and Hannah Pacheco (22 assists) set up both Oliveira and Anderson among others.  Oliveira took home team-high attacking honors with her 18 kills (second most this season), while Anderson totaled 13 to go along with her 19 digs, which was her second-highest output of the campaign.

Hannah Monfre added another 15 digs.

The Saints (17-10, 8-3 CCAC) also collected some of their best numbers in service aces (12) and blocks (11).  Five different players had multiple aces, including Lab and Pacheco (3).  Cadence Wodrich led the attack in blocks with six, followed by five each from Peyton Baird and Stephanie Woods.

Cardinal Stritch (11-10, 5-5) stole the first set, rallying multiple times, but never trailing by less than three points.  A 4-1 run at the end put the hosts up 1-0.

USF also held a lead in Set 2, going up by as many as five points (18-13) before Cardinal Stritch surprised with the final seven points.

The Saints put on their rally caps for Set 3, using a 7-1 run to turn a 17-16 deficit into a 23-18 lead that they would not relinquish.  Anderson provided three kills in the late charge.

In Set 4, St. Francis had 5-1 and 12-5 leads go by the wayside, but scored five of the final seven points to force a fifth set.

In the climax, the Saints jumped out in front 10-3, but made things interesting when Cardinal Stritch pulled to within 13-12.  A service error followed by an attacking error on the final two points allowed head coach Cara Currier's club to prevail.

Notes: The Saints remained perfect in matches that go five sets, improving to 5-0 … All five sets were decided by three points or less … Anderson's double-double was her team-leading tenth of the campaign … USF will face its toughest competition of the season this weekend at the Viterbo (Wis.) Tournament with three of the four matches being against NAIA Top 25 clubs.  It starts Friday against the No. 8 hosts (2 pm) followed by University of Saint Francis, Ind. (6 pm), which is among others receiving votes in the latest poll.
 
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