Gainesville, FL

The Saints hosted the Polk State College Eagles on Monday night in their Vs. Cancer match. This match was played in honor of children and teens who have experienced a pediatric brain tumor or cancer diagnosis. Santa Fe has partnered with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's Vs. Cancer program to raise funds for family support and child life programs as well as pediatric brain cancer research to save kids' lives. Since 2013, Vs. Cancer has worked with thousands of athletes to defeat the deadliest disease facing our country's children—pediatric brain cancer.

The Saints, donning yellow ribbons in their hair and shoelaces to help raise awareness for pediatric brain cancer, won in five sets 25-20, 30-32, 21-25, 27-25, 16-14.

The Eagles jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the first set, but a service ace by Lauanna Pino tied the set at 6-6. The Saints took an 11-9 lead thanks to a block and ace by Maria Contreras and a block by Mariana Haas and Madison Villanueva. Kailyn Howard extended the Saints' lead to 16-13 with a kill. With the Eagles aiming to tie the set, Linnea Preston added a kill to maintain a 17-15 lead. The Eagles took the first timeout of the set after Contreras extended the Saints' lead to 19-16 with an ace. Kierston Giesey recorded back-to-back kills following the timeout, and the Saints held on to win the first set 25-20 with a kill by Linnea Preston.

The Eagles controlled the start of the second set, as they took a 9-2 lead. The Saints cut the deficit to 11-8 with kills by Preston and Haas, as well as a block by Preston and Contreras. The Saints tied the set 14-14 with an ace by Emmy Rowland, but the Eagles regained the lead 21-17. The Saints tied the set 22-22 with an ace by Aria Eisel, a kill by Villanueva, and a block by Villanueva. Another block by Villanueva gave the Saints set point at 24-23, but the Eagles took the set 32-30.

The Eagles took an 8-1 lead to start the third set. Jessica Mckee and Preston had a block to cut the deficit to 9-3. An Eisel ace and Contreras kill further cut the deficit to 13-9. The Saints tied the set 13-13 with back-to-back kills by Contreras, but the Eagles responded by regaining a 20-13 lead. Contreras ended the Eagles' 7-0 run with a block, but the Saints' comeback bid in the third set fell short as the Eagles won 25-21.

The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair with the score tied 8-8, but the Eagles took an 11-8 lead. Howard tied the set 16-16 with a kill. An ace by Eisel kept the set tied 21-21. The Saints took set point 26-25 following a kill and ace by Mckee, and the Saints forced a fifth set after winning the fourth set 27-25.

Kierston Giesey gave the Saints a 3-2 lead in the fifth set with a kill, but the Eagles responded by going on a 4-0 run to take a 6-3 lead. Preston recorded a kill to cut the deficit to 7-6, but the Eagles extended their lead to 10-7. The Saints tied the set 10-10 with kills by Haas and Mckee. Haas and Giesey kept the Saints alive with kills after the Eagles had match point at 14-11. Mckee had a block to give the Saints match point at 15-14, and the Saints won the fifth set 16-14.

The Saints will travel to Melbourne, FL on Wednesday, October 2nd to face the #15 Eastern Florida State College Titans at 6:00 PM EDT.

Article By: Bryan Denton