ONU DOWNS USF 3-1 IN CCAC TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Playing in front of a packed McHie Arena crowd, the Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball team took care of St. Francis (Ill.) in a 25-20, 25-20, 22-25, 25-23 win in the quarterfinal round of the CCAC Tournament.

After winning the first two sets, ONU came out a bit flat in the third set, allowing five-seeded St. Francis (10-20) to climb back into the match. The Fighting Saints seemed poised to force a fifth set, but a late ONU rally turned the tide.

Trailing 23-21 in the fourth, a St. Francis service error got the ball into the hands of Halle Nicholas who immediately ripped off a service ace to tie the match. A Molly Kurtz kill put the Tigers at match point before Kaitlyn Kolb and Sabrina Sanif roofed a block to secure the ONU victory.

The Tigers used a pair of mid-set runs to take the commanding two-set lead. Trailing 8-7 in the first set, Sara Serafimova rattled off six straight service points to take a five-point lead that they would hold throughout. And then trailing 10-8 in the second, Nicholas put down a kill before collecting four service points in a row to give ONU the advantage.

Nicholas notched 16 kills in the win. Cozen was the only other Tiger in double figures with 10. Kurtz put down nine while Kolb and Sanif both finished with seven. Kurtz also recorded three solo blocks.

Hadleigh Loitz racked up 42 assists and nine digs. Serafimova paced the defense with 17 digs, Ashley Poland had 11, and Karsyn Delbridge added six.

The win advances the Tigers to the semifinal round of the CCAC Tournament, where they will face top-seeded Judson Thursday night in Elgin, Ill.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu