DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Santa Fe Volleyball traveled to meet No. 18 Daytona State on Thursday evening, and although the Saints started off strong and pushed the Falcons, the hosts come away with an 18-25, 25-15, 25-22, 25-13 result.

Set 1 – SF 25, DSC 18

The Saints got off to an ideal start and established a six-point advantage, 8-2, after a kill from Katelyn Crofts who made her return to the lineup.

An ace from Nicole DePaula brought the score to 11-5 and forced a Falcons' timeout.

Santa Fe continued to keep Daytona State out of rhythm with aggressive serving and a balanced, unpredictable attack. The Falcons never got within three points of SF the rest of the way, and the Saints put the finishing touches on an impressive 25-18 set.

Set 2 – DSC 25, SF 15

The second set was tied 8-8 when the hosts went on a 10-2 run to seize an 18-10 lead.

The Falcons' attack came alive in the frame and eventually tied the match at a set apiece.

Set 3 – DSC 25, SF 22

With each side striving to take the crucial 2-1 lead, the third set went back-and-forth with high-level volleyball.

SF fell into a 7-3 deficit before producing four unanswered points to tie it at 7-7. The Saints took their first lead of the set at 13-12, highlighted by some quality play from Abbey James.

The advantage for either side stayed small until the score found its way to 21-20 Daytona State, and despite consecutive kills from James, Daytona State earned the final points via a Saints' service error and a block at the net.

Set 4 - DSC 25, SF 13

The No. 18 Falcons sealed the victory in four sets, using a 9-0 run in the middle of the set to pull away.  

Key Saints' Statistics

Conner had a season-high 12 kills to lead the way for SF, while DePaula contributed nine putaways. Abbey James added six kills, providing a spark and hitting for a .294 percentage.

Katelyn Kelso was a leader in the back row with a team-high 15 digs.

The Cheronis Perspective

"There was great progress by our group, but Daytona State's outside hitter's were really on. We have three home matches coming up in a row, and we can't wait to get back in the gym."

Up Next

The first of the next three home games for Santa Fe (3-14, 2-11 Suncoast) arrives on Saturday, October 16 against Indian River State College. The first serve is set for 2:00 p.m.