SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The Spring Arbor University volleyball team lost a hard-fought, four-set affair to Crossroads League rival University of Saint Francis on Friday night (20-25, 25-18, 23-25, 18-25).
Freshman Leah Rose led a trio of Cougars who registered double-doubles with 13 kills – one off her season-high and 13 digs. Setters Laura Hardy and Gabrielle Hilliard joined Rose in double-figure digs with 11 and 10, respectively. Hilliard also handed out 13 assists and Hardy followed with 12.
Olivia Landis paced the defense, which posted a season-high 13 total blocks. The freshman tallied eight block assists and one solo while senior Lyndsay Murray scooped up a match-high 19 digs.
Saint Francis (9-7, 5-3 Crossroads League) opened the match on a lengthy run, jumping out to a 14-4 advantage. The Cougars would rally back with Rose leading the charge, slamming down four kills to trim USF's lead to three, 20-17. The deficit would prove to be too much to overcome, though, as the visitors would take the first set 25-20.
Spring Arbor flipped the script in the second frame, as sophomore Rebekah Kujat served up four consecutive points to propel the Cougars out to a 9-2 lead. Saint Francis would use a scoring spurt to get within one, 16-15, but SAU would answer with a 9-3 run, capped by a kill from sophomore Alexis Long, to even the match at one set apiece.
The third set went back-and-forth with no team leading by more than three points. With Saint Francis serving set point, up 24-22, Landis kept SAU's hopes alive with a kill to narrow the gap to one, but the USF responded with a kill to close out the set 25-23.
Saint Francis looked to finish off the Cougars in the fourth set, but SAU refused to go down without a fight. After falling behind 19-11, Spring Arbor climbed back with a 7-1 run to get within two, 20-18. However, the visitors finished off the set with five straight points to seal the win.
Spring Arbor (1-16, 0-8 Crossroads League) is right back in action tomorrow at Goshen College. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
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