GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Santa Fe Volleyball dropped its 12th consecutive match on Saturday afternoon, as the visiting Indian River State College Pioneers came away with a 25-19, 25-18, 26-24 result inside the SF Gymnasium.

The defeat dashed the Saints' hopes for postseason play, while Indian River was able to inch closer to securing the sixth and final spot for the upcoming FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament.

Set 1 – IRSC 25, SF 19

The Saints fell into a 7-1 hole in the early going.

The deficit grew to as large as nine points in the opening set, and Indian River eventually jumped ahead 1-0.

Set 2 – IRSC 25, SF 18

The Saints had started to play much better towards the end of Set 1, however, and after falling behind 3-1 in the second, SF went on a 5-0 run to lead 6-3, capped off by a block from Katelyn Crofts.

Nicole DePaula in particular continued to effective with her swings from the outside, but the Pioneers were able to chip away and draw even in the middle of the set.

With the score tied at 15-15, the Pioneers regained the lead on the strength of a 3-0 run. The Saints countered with a kill from Elizabeth Klein and an ace from DePaula, but IRSC proceeded to take control with five unanswered points before claiming the 25-18 outcome.

Set 3 – IRSC 26, SF 24

The Saints had their backs against the wall but came out clicking in Set 3, establishing a 10-2 lead. SF scored eight straight points in that stretch of play, including two aces from Katelyn Kelso and multiple blocks from Crofts.

Indian River drew to as close as three, 17-14, forcing an SF timeout.

The Saints made the adjustments to slow the Pioneers' momentum and went ahead 24-19, continuing to display quality serving and an effective block.

The Pioneers' however improbably accounted for what proved to be the match's final seven points, tossing up two aces and claiming the final point on a kill of the block.  

Match Notes/Key Saints' Statistics

The Saints wore pink uniforms for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

DePaula finished with a team-high ten kills for the Saints.

Crofts led the way in the block category, while Kelso had three of the Saints' seven aces.

Up Next

2021 will mark the first time in the eight-year program history that SF will not compete in the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. The Saints do still have two more home games left on the 2021 schedule, and will next face Eastern Florida State College on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 21 will be "NJCAA Day," as SF Athletics celebrates alongside the NJCAA with the theme of In This Together, centering around the upcoming 50th anniversary of Title IX, equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts (EDI), sportsmanship, and NJCAA pride. Be loud and if in attendance for the 6:00 p.m. match against Polk State College, wear your favorite sports jersey to support the Saints!

That match will also honor the following Saints' sophomores in their final match at home: Amelia MacCallum, Emily Loose, Abbey James, Kassidy Bolling, Emily Register, and Katelyn Crofts.