JOLIET, Ill. — St. Francis (IL) (18-13, 14-4) edged out Olivet Nazarene (IL) (11-19, 7-8) in a five-set thriller at the Pat Sullivan Center, securing the victory with scores of 25-22, 27-25, 22-25, 23-25, 15-5. Despite the loss, the Tigers tallied a match-high 96 digs.
Skylar Dorsey recorded 54 assists and added 15 digs, leading the team's distribution efforts. Naomi Monney-Hori tallied 19 kills and matched that with 19 digs, demonstrating her dual impact on the court. Breanna Lamie contributed defensively with a team-high 23 digs. Brynn Nikonchuk added 16 kills to the team's offensive output.
The Tigers hold an overall record of 11-19 and a conference record of 7-8. The Saints currently stand at 18-13 overall and 14-4 in conference play.
The Tigers started strong with Monney-Hori delivering two early kills, assisted by Dorsey, setting the pace at the beginning of the first set. Despite building an initial 4-0 lead, the Saints fought back, tying the score at 8-8. The Tigers regained momentum with key plays, including kills by Nikonchuk and Ayla Dorsey, leveling the score at 18-18. However, after a back-and-forth battle, the Saints edged ahead, ultimately taking the first set with a 25-22 score.
The Tigers mounted a significant comeback in the second set, capitalizing on a series of attack errors by the Saints to close the gap. A key run was initiated by Lamie, who delivered a service ace and followed it with several points, bringing the score to 12-10. Monney-Hori's consecutive kills, assisted by Dorsey, further propelled the Tigers into a short-lived lead at 11-10, prompting a timeout from the Saints. The match remained tightly contested, with Monney-Hori and Emma Edmonds contributing crucial kills to keep the Tigers within striking distance. However, the Saints edged ahead towards the end, with decisive service aces by Delani Kirstein securing a 27-25 win for the home team in the second set.
The Tigers capitalized on several early attack errors by the Saints to take a 3-0 lead in the third set. Dorsey contributed significantly, assisting on multiple kills, including one by Nikonchuk that extended the lead to 6-2. Midway through the set, the Tigers maintained momentum with a service ace from Natalie Wall and a kill by Ayla Dorsey, pushing their advantage to 10-6. Despite a rally from the Saints that narrowed the gap to 22-21, the Tigers responded decisively with a kill by Monney-Hori, securing the set 25-22.
The Tigers capitalized on a series of attack errors by the Saints to establish a strong lead in the fourth set. With Monney-Hori and Nikonchuk delivering key kills, the Tigers surged ahead to a 17-7 advantage, prompting a timeout from the Saints. Despite a late rally by the Saints, closing the gap to 24-23, the Tigers sealed the set with a decisive kill by Ayla Dorsey, assisted by Dorsey, ending the set 25-23.
The Tigers started the fifth set with a kill by Monney-Hori, assisted by Dorsey, to take an early lead. However, a series of attack errors allowed the Saints to capture momentum, leading to an 8-3 advantage. Despite two timeouts by the Tigers to regroup, the Saints continued to extend their lead with consistent offensive plays. Nikonchuk managed to break through with multiple kills, but it wasn't enough to halt the Saints' progress. The home team sealed the decisive set 15-5, concluding the match.
—ONU—
*Contact: Annabel Murley, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, almurley@olivet.edu