Box Score

GOSHEN, Ind. — Naomi Willis led the Goshen College women's volleyball team with 12 assists and 6 digs Saturday afternoon in a three-set loss to the University of Saint Francis at Ruth Gunden Gymnasium. The Maple Leafs held leads in all three sets but lost 25-11, 25-15, 25-16.

Saint Francis (4-14, 2-5) got a match-high 16 kills from Haiydn Carrico and 7 digs apiece from Maile Steckelberg and Kylie Topp. The team also added 10 aces, led by 3 from Kelby Goldschmiedling.

Goshen (3-15, 0-7) got 4 kills and 2 aces from Gwyn Bellamy while Maddy Beaver chipped in 2 kills and a block. Christina Towne also had a team-high 6 digs.

GC quickly opened a 4-0 lead in the opening set, but that margin would go by the wayside as Saint Francis went on a 6-0 run of its own before a nine-point spurt on Goldschmiedling's serve. Carrico added a block and a kill to wrap up the set.

In the second set, Goshen's leads were 3-2 and 5-4 before the Cougars took 9 rallies out of 11 and seized control with two Steckelberg aces at 19-11.

The Leafs went up 5-3 and led as late as 7-6 in the third set before three Carrico winners and a pair of Alexa Sparks aces opened a 20-9 Cougar lead. But with Towne and Sadie Brenneman toeing the service line, GC got two kills from Bellamy and one from Madison Coles to retaliate with a 7-1 run that brought things back to 21-16.

Just as quickly, though, the clock struck midnight on Goshen's run, although that clock would have had to be someplace like Dubai because of the time difference. A USF block put the ball back in Goshen's court, literally, but let Eliana Serdynski serve out the last three points of the match.

The Cougars hit .304 for the match, peaking at .429 with 11 winners in the second set, while Goshen finished with 17 winners and 23 hitting errors.

Goshen continues its three-match homestand on Wednesday when it welcomes Grace College to Gunden Gym at 7 p.m.