BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Franciscan University Lady Barons played in a tri-match Saturday against D'Youville College and SUNY-Canton, splitting the two matches. FUS beat their Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference rival D'Youville, 3-0 (25-9, 25-14, 25-18). In the second match they lost to Canton in four games (16-25, 17-25, 26-24, 14-25).

The first match against the Lady Spartans showcased the same strong offense that the Lady Barons have displayed over the last week and a half. Freshman Dani Link continued to play strong complementing senior Anna Cain.

“Dani has been a key to the rise of our team,” head coach, Kelly Herrmann said. “She really is a star.”

Link ended the first game with 10 kills while Cain had 11 and Maria Prezzia rounded out the offense with six. Amy O'Keefe spread the ball efficiently to her teammates with 26 assists.

The Lady Barons defense was as efficient as it has been all year; Sam Kelly had 21 digs, with Christina Lawrence adding nine, and Prezzia adding eight.

This victory was important to the Lady Barons as it bumped their AMCC record to 5-2. This puts them in contention for hosting a home playoff game in the AMCC Championship Tournament.

“As a team we can do great things,” Herrmann said. “Every woman is ready to dive on the floor and make things happen. It gave us a lot of confidence.”

After their crucial conference victory, the Lady Barons lost to non-conference opponent Canton. Herrmann seized an opportunity to play different players after Cain was removed halfway through the match with an apparent injury.

“We have a lot of freshman that are really stepping up,” Herrmann said.

Regarding her senior captains injury that forced her to the sidelines, Herrmann was not overly concerned.

“Anna shouldn't be out more than a day or two,” she said.

Lawrence had 11 kills and Link had five kills in the second match. Claire Prezzia had three aces and Kelly served two for herself. Defensively, Kelly had 21 digs and Maria Prezzia had 15.

After the 1-1 showing in the tri-match, Herrmann talked about her team's mental attitude as they prepare for their final two games of the regular season.

“You're only as good as your last match. You don't want to be over confident. The girls appreciate the opportunity to play and be on the court,” Herrmann said. “That perspective can make us more focused. We want good continuation.”

The Lady Barons now have a season record of 12-14 and a AMCC record of 5-2 as they prepare to take on AMCC opponent La Roche College on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. This is their final away game of the season before their Senior Day game against conference foe Hilbert College. The Lady Barons are third in the AMCC as of right now, with Hilbert not far behind in fourth, meaning potential playoff implications for the team's final game of the season.