TIGERS HANG TOUGH AGAINST ST. FRANCIS IN 3-1 SETBACK
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball team dropped a close four-set match Thursday, falling 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19 to St. Francis in McHie Arena.
Olivet Nazarene began the first set with a balanced attack, as Naomi Monney-Hori and Sabrina Sanif contributed kills early, supported by Analiese Fredin's assists. After trading points with St. Francis, the Tigers gained momentum with service aces from Ayla Dorsey and Breanna Lamie, pulling ahead 14-11. However, the Saints responded with a series of kills, leading to a tightly contested match.
Despite Olivet Nazarene's efforts to maintain the lead with strong play from Brynn Nikonchuk and Monney-Hori, St. Francis capitalized on key errors and built a late surge. A decisive service ace by Alyssa Teske closed the set, giving the Saints a 25-22 victory.
In the second set, the Tigers capitalized on early miscues from the Saints to establish a 6-0 lead, highlighted by three consecutive service aces from Fredin. Despite a brief St. Francis rally, including a service ace by Ann Simon that tied the score at 16, Olivet Nazarene regained momentum with key plays from Monney-Hori and Fredin. As the set neared its conclusion, the Tigers pulled ahead once more, ultimately clinching the set 25-23 with a decisive block by Dorsey and Nikonchuk.
In the third set, Olivet Nazarene fought to regain momentum against St. Francis. Sanif made critical contributions with kills assisted by Fredin, keeping the home team within striking distance. A service ace from Ayla Dorsey narrowed the gap to 8-8, but the Saints capitalized on Olivet's errors to pull ahead.
The Tigers rallied late in the set, sparked by a series of successful plays that included a service ace by Skylar Dorsey and a kill by Monney-Hori, leveling the score at 20-20. Despite this, the Saints managed to close the set, ultimately securing a 25-22 victory.
The fourth set began with a strong push from St. Francis, who quickly established momentum with a series of successful plays, including kills by Riley Hungate and Teske, leading to a 4-1 advantage. Olivet Nazarene responded with a kill from Fredin, but struggled to maintain pace as the Saints capitalized on errors to extend their lead to 11-3.
The Tigers attempted a comeback, with Sanif and Skylar Dorsey contributing key points to narrow the gap to 11-7. However, the Saints maintained their lead, aided by effective plays from their lineup, and pushed the score to 17-13. Despite efforts from Nikonchuk and Sanif to close the deficit, St. Francis continued to apply pressure, ultimately securing the set 25-19.
The set concluded with the Saints holding off Olivet Nazarene's late surge, overcoming their defense with a decisive final point from Simon. The set ended with the Saints at 25 and the Tigers at 19.
Fredin directed the offense with 30 assists and added four service aces to her performance. Lamie anchored the defense, collecting 20 digs across four sets. Sanif contributed offensively with 11 kills and added one block assist. Monney-Hori led the team in total points, finishing with 12, including 12 kills and 14 digs.
Olivet Nazarene holds an overall record of 4-15 and is 3-4 in conference play.
--ONU—
*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu