ONU WINS SECOND STRAIGHT FIVE-SET DECISION AT ST. FRANCIS

JOLIET, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball team traveled up the interstate to University of St. Francis for a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) clash on Tuesday night.  The Tigers ended up defeating St. Francis in five sets to earn their second straight five-set victory. 

The Tigers and Fighting Saints were tied at five through the first 10 points.  Sutton Bate, Carleigh Johnson, and Becca Bell all marked a kill in the early going.  At seven all, a pair of kills from Katarina Nikolic and a kill from Rachel Newport made the score, 10-7.  The two teams played a very contested middle of the set as neither team led by more than two points.  With the score at 23 all late in the set, a kill from Johnson and a service ace from Bell lifted the Tigers over the Fighting Saints, 25-23.  Bell led ONU with four kills while Nikolic and Newport had three. 

The Tigers found themselves up early, 6-4, in the second set. Nikolic, Bell, Bate, and Johnson produced the offense for the Tigers. After the Fighting Saints tied the set at seven all, they went on to take control as they led by as much as four at 13-9.  A pair of kills by Bate cut into the deficit as the Tigers trailed 14-13.  The Tigers tied the set at 19, late, but St. Francis provided timely offense down the stretch and took the second set, 25-22. 

The Fighting Saints took 6 of the first 10 points in the third set.  A kill by Kaylee Cozen and Newport cut the lead to one.  With the Fighting Saints leading 11-7, a service ace by Janelle Skinner sparked a 7-0 run and took the lead at 15-11.  Just as the momentum was favoring St. Francis, at 16-15, a kill by Nikolic extended the lead to 16-14.  The Tigers had too much offense down the stretch and took the third set, 25-21.  Bate and Newport marked kills to seal the win for the Tigers.  

The Tigers took a 6-4 lead early in the fourth set.  Nikolic and Bate provided the offense for the Tigers in the early going.  With the Tigers in front 12-9, the Fighting Saints rallied and took the next nine points to take a 17-13 lead.  The Tigers, unfortunately, could not recover and fell in the fourth set, 25-19.

The two teams were deadlocked at four at the beginning of the fifth set.  Then, the two teams were deadlocked at 10.  A kill from Bate and Nikolic sparked a 5-0 run which saw the Tigers take the fifth set, 15-10, and the match, 3-2.

GAME VITALS

Finals: First Set: ONU 25, USF 23 | Second Set: USF 25, ONU 22 | Third Set: ONU 25, USF 21 | Fourth Set: USF 25, ONU 19 | Fifth Set: ONU 15, USF 10

Records: Olivet Nazarene: 9-5 (5-2 CCAC) | St. Francis: 9-10 (5-2 CCAC)

Location: Pat Sullivan Center | University of St. Francis | Joliet, Ill.

QUICK HITS

• Bate led the Tigers with 15 kills, while Bell and Nikolic tallied 14 kills.
• Skinner notched 34 assists and Hadleigh Loitz followed with 22 assists. 
• Kaitlyn McMahan marked 29 digs, while Johnson marked 14 and Nikolic had 13. 
• Bell hit .480 to lead the Tigers. 
• The Tigers amassed six service aces

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers return to McHie Arena to host the Eagles of Judson University on Thursday, September 30 at 7 p.m.

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu