JOLIET, Ill. --- Seeking to close out a perfect week and keep intact its hope of hosting a first-round playoff game, the University of St. Francis women's volleyball team came up just short of those two goals by falling in five games to Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Indiana University South Bend 21-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20, 18-16 on Saturday night at the Sullivan Center.

The Saints (19-6, 10-5 CCAC) came into the match with wins over Olivet Nazarene University and Governors State University earlier in the week, while also being tied for the fourth spot in the league standings.  But Indiana South Bend (14-12, 12-3) battled back twice to come out on top and sweep the season series between the two teams.

Desiree Anderson, Stephanie Woods and Gabriela Oliveira all produced double-digit kill totals for the Saints with Woods registering the 1,000th kill of her career.  Anderson came away with the highest total of kills and a double-double (14 kills, 16 digs).  Woods was tough to stop all night long, totaling 13 kills and only one error in 29 chances for a .404 attack percentage.  Oliveira provided another 12 kills.

Setting the trio up was the combination of Hannah Pacheco and Kaylie Sippel.  They were separated by just one assist with Pacheco edging out the latter with her 25 sets.

Defensively, Cadence Wodrich had a big game at the net with her 10 block assists to lead a 13-block attack.  In the dig department, Hannah Monfre (20 digs), Anderson and Pacheco (12) all finished in double figures.

Each of the first four sets were played to similar results.  Neither team was separated by more than three points throughout most of the first set before Woods produced three straight kills to give USF a 23-18 lead en route to the win.

Set two had a nearly identical story but to Indiana South Bend's advantage with the Titans using a 4-0 run late to go up 20-16 before closing out the set with the final three points.

A run of seven straight points early in Set 3 gave the Saints an 8-3 advantage that they would never give up.  Indiana South Bend got as close as one point twice before two more kills from Woods aided an ending 5-0 run.

In Set 4, it was the Titans that jumped on top early by 9-3 and 12-4 counts.  USF chipped away at the deficit, getting within two points three times late before succumbing.

The Saints also battled back from 6-2 and 12-8 deficits in Set 5 and eventually gained a 15-14 lead.  USF had the game-point advantage twice only to have Indiana South Bend rally to score the final three points of the match for the victory.

Notes: Woods' 13 kills on the night gave her 1,010 for her career … Wodrich set a new personal-best mark with her 10 block assists … Pacheco tied her season high of 25 assists, while her 12 digs were her second most of the campaign.  The net result was her third double-double of the year … Anderson, meanwhile, tallied her team-leading 11th double-double of the campaign … Sippel's 24 assists were her second most this season … The Saints close out the regular season on Tuesday when they host Judson University at 7 pm.    

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