BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Olivet Nazarene University hit .133 and produced 33 kills as the Tigers earned a 3-0 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference sweep (25-20, 25-16, 25-21) over the University of St. Francis women's volleyball team Thursday evening at McHie Arena in Bourbonnais, Ill. The loss dropped the Fighting Saints to 8-14 on the season and 6-8 in CCAC play. Olivet Nazarene improved to 20-8 overall and 12-2 in league action.
Delani Kirstein and
Aubrey Phillips led the Saints with five kills each, while Phillips posted a .267 hitting percentage.
Landry Hall authored 25 assists as USF hit -.043 in the loss. Kirstein anchored the St. Francis defense with a team-high seven digs.
The Saints scored the first point of the first set before ONU went on a 13-5 run to take the lead at 13-6. USF would stay within two points (13-11) after two kills from Kirstein and one from
Alyssa Teske helped aid the Saints in securing the next five rallies, but the Tigers would pull away late on an 11-3 run before closing out the set 25-20.
In Set 2, St. Francis was the one to take the early lead after spreading the offense throughout the first 16 rallies with one kill each from Phillips, Teske,
Annika Van Heemst, Hall,
Alyssa Ignasak and
Kennedy Walker to mark the score at 9-7. Mistakes quickly squelched that momentum, however, with USF attacking errors accounting for eight of ONU's next 12 points resulting in Olivet overtaking the lead at 19-11. The two teams would then trade points the remainder of the way with the Tigers closing the set out with the 25-16 win.
Set 3 saw the Tigers create separation early that resulted in a 15-6 lead midway through the frame. The teams would swap six-point swings before St. Francis took advantage of a string of Tiger attacking errors and charged forward with another 6-0 scoring spurt to cut its deficit to a 21-18 mark, but an ONU kill followed by a block spelled doom for the Saints in the end allowing the Tigers to earn the sweep with the 25-21 victory.
Next Match
The Saints will be back at home on Saturday (Oct. 24) for a CCAC contest against Mount Mary University (Wis.). Senior Day festivities will occur before the 1 pm scheduled start in the Pat Sullivan Center.
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