Franciscan 3, Saint Vincent 2
Franciscan Starters
Renee Antonelli, Maria Bosco Graysen Kraft, Emily Nutter, Grace Wallace, Marykate Taylor & libero - Lauren Betar
Saint Vincent Starters
Augustine, Miller, Polk, Reeping, Figuly, Ellis & Marsico
How It Happened
The Franciscan Women's Volleyball made Senior Night a very memorable one, as they came back from a two set deficit to beat Saint Vincent 3-2. The win should also propel the Lady Barons into the last spot in the PAC Playoffs that start this weekend.
In set one, it appeared to be two very evenly matched teams, as the score stood at 7-7. Saint Vincent would then gain some separation with a 5-0 run. Renee Antonelli added a kill to snap the streak, but the Lady Barons would not get closer than two off the lead, as the Bearcats won 25-18.
Set two did not start out great for Franciscan, as the Bearcats would take an early 10-3 lead. Shortly after, a 5-0 run would extend their lead up to 16-6. The Lady Barons would battle it back to a 19-14 game thanks to a Caitlin O'Malley kill and Antonelli ace, but the Bearcats would hold on to a 25-19 win.
Set three appeared to be more of the same, as the Bearcats would be the first to fifteen, as the score was 15-10. Graysen Kraft and Caitlin O'Malley added kills to right the ship and tighten this one back up at 15-12. Franciscan would heat up, as a 5-0 run would give them the lead at 20-19. Renee Antonelli and Maria Bosco provided crucial kills in that run. The Bearcats would retake control and the lead at 22-21, but the Lady Barons would step up huge with a 4-0 run to secure their first set win of the night.
The Lady Barons looked like a new team in set four and nothing was going to stop them from winning. Renee Antonelli got her serve going early with two aces, as Franciscan would lead 5-1. Marykate Taylor added a pair of kills in the early goings also, as the lead would be stretched to 10-4. The Bearcats would cut it to a three point lead at 12-9, but a Franciscan 4-0 run, that included a Graysen Kraft kill kept the Lady Barons in the lead. Franciscan would lead by a high of eight points at 19-11, but Saint Vincent would not quit, as they would cut it to a one point game at 22-21. Antonelli would again come up big with a service ace and a kill to keep the Franciscan lead and win a close set 25-23.
Graysen Kraft and Maria Bosco would add one kill apiece in the beginning of the decisive set number five to give Franciscan a 4-2 edge. The Bearcats were able to cut the lead to just one at 7-6, but the Lady Barons would never relinquish the lead the rest of the the set. Maria Bosco added another massive kill, and the Franciscan lead would get stretched to 11-7. Franciscan would commit a couple service errors down the stretch, but the offense would continue to shake it off and force pressure on Saint Vincent. They would prevail 15-11 to send the fans home happy in the home finale.
Inside the Numbers
- Renee Antonelli had a team high 13 kills.
- Maria Bosco also had double digit kills with 11 on the night. She swung it at an impressive .611 kill percentage.
- Setter Emily Nutter had a very strong night with 37 assists and 26 digs.
- Senior Lauren Betar played extremely well with 22 digs and numerous receptions with only one error.
- Antonelli also had 10 digs to notch a double double.
- Both teams had 46 kills on the night.
Who's Next?
This concludes the regular season. This should have clinched the Lady Barons a spot in the PAC Playoffs in their first season competing in the conference. Seeding and matchups will be announced Thursday afternoon by the conference.
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