La CROSSE, Wis. --- Seeking its second straight five-set victory, the University of St. Francis women's volleyball team came up just short in a battle with Indiana counterpart University of Saint Francis, falling 24-26, 25-21, 25-16, 17-25, 15-13 to close out play at the Viterbo University (Wis.) V-Hawk Fall Classic on Saturday morning.  The Saints finished the tournament going 1-2.

The two teams produced identical .230 attack percentages and the fifth-set was tied at 13-all before Saint Francis (Ind.) wrapped up the match by securing the final two points.

Desiree Anderson, Kaylie Sippel and Gabriela Oliveira each delivered their second double-doubles in a row with Oliveira posting a team-high 20 kills, 16 digs and three blocks.  Anderson was next in line with 12 kills on a .345 hitting clip and 17 digs.

Sippel notched her double-double via 33 assists and 12 digs.

Abby Sippel led the team defensively with her 18 digs, while Madison Koelker matched Oliveira with three blocks.

Trailing 15-14 in Set 1, the Saints (7-16) ran off six of the next seven points to go up 20-16 with Anderson and Oliveira both contributing a kill.  They would maintain that four-point edge going into game point before Saint Francis (Ind.) rallied to tie the set at 24-all.  Nonetheless, Oliveira was there to save the set with two kills to end it.

In Set 2, USF used five points in a row to turn a 7-4 deficit into a 9-7 lead with two kills from Anderson and one from Oliveira.  The Saints also led as late as 19-18 before Saint Francis (Ind.) ran off seven of the final nine points to even the match at one-all.

Saint Francis (Ind.) (7-16) used that momentum to open Set 3 with seven of the first eight points.  St. Francis would never get closer than five points the rest of the set.

Three kills from Cadence Wodrich, two more from Anderson and a kill and an ace from Oliveira enabled the Saints to bolt out to a 9-3 lead to start Set 4.  Another 5-0 run moments later made it 14-5 and the Cougars would never challenge in the set.

In the deciding set, USF opened a 2-0 lead with Saint Francis (Ind.) responding with the next five markers.  The Saints got the deficit down to one point three separate times before kills from Koelker and Anderson brought St. Francis back even at 13-all.  Saint Francis (Ind.), however, was able to right itself to score the final two points and gain the match victory.

Notes: The contest was the third five-set match in the Saints' last four play dates … Sippel and Anderson maintained the top spot on the team in double-doubles with nine each.  For Oliveira, it was her sixth such match … Anderson's .345 attack percentage was a season high … The Saints are back home Tuesday to face defending CCAC regular-season and tournament champion Saint Xavier University.

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