BOURBONNAIS, Ill. --- Getting a career-high 20 kills from Gabriela Oliveira, the University of St. Francis women's volleyball team remained perfect at 3-0 in matches decided in the fifth set with a thrilling 25-23, 15-25, 30-28, 20-25, 15-9 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Olivet Nazarene University on Tuesday night.  The win also snapped a two-match losing streak in league affairs, putting the Saints at 11-8 overall and 5-2 in conference play.

Oliveira was one of three USF players to register double-digit kill counts.  She authored a .333 attack percentage with the 20 kills coming against only four errors in 48 chances.  She also closed out two of the three set wins with kills. 

Stephanie Woods was an even more impressive .476 attacker with only two errors in 21 chances and 12 kills.  Both players also contributed elsewhere with Woods producing a match-high six blocks and Oliveira adding another four.

Desiree Anderson provided 12 kills, as well, as part of a double-double for her.  She posted 16 digs.

Head coach Cara Currier used a three-person setting attack to gain the road win.  Abby Lab topped the list with her 19 assists.  Hannah Pacheco followed with 16 and Kaylie Sippel another 10.

Defensively, besides Anderson, Hannah Monfre led the way with 18 digs.  Leah Talley contributed another ten digs.

The match was a back-and-forth affair all night long with a total of 29 ties and 12 lead changes resulting.  The biggest of the see-saw changes came in Set 3, where the two teams combined for 13 ties and six lead changes.  

In Set 1, neither team could pull away until late when the Saints built up a 24-18 advantage only to have Olivet Nazarene get within one point, 24-23, before Oliveira closed out the set with a kill.

Set 2 was the only lopsided score with Olivet Nazarene (5-12, 4-2) building an early 8-3 advantage and never leading by less than four points the rest of the set.

In Set 3, the Saints led 6-1 and 13-8, but ONU worked its way back to take a 25-24 lead.  The Tigers twice had the set at game point, but could not end it.  Oliveira did with back-to-back kills.

Olivet Nazarene forced a fifth set with its win in Set 4.  A tight contest throughout again, the Tigers took a 22-17 lead only to have the Saints rally to get within 22-20 before ONU shut the door.

In Set 5, Olivet Nazarene scored the first two points before USF rattled off seven of the next eight and used that run to keep the Tigers at arm's length.  St. Francis claimed the match victory by gaining the final three points, two of which came from Oliveira (kill) and Pacheco (ace).  

Notes: Oliveira's previous high-water mark for kills was 17 against Aquinas College (Sept. 3) … Oliveira's .333 attack reading also marked a season-best performance … Woods' 12 kills were also a season high, while her .476 attack percentage was her second-best report … Anderson's double-double was her seventh of the year … Lab provided the team's fourth season-high mark in the match with her 19 assists … The Saints return home on Thursday when they host Governors State University in a league contest beginning at 7 pm at the Sullivan Center.   

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