Volleyball Falls in Five-Set Battle at Saint Mary

OMAHA, Neb. – Doane volleyball went the distance on Wednesday night but came up short in a five-set thriller against College of Saint Mary, dropping the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup 25-19, 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 15-12. With the result, the Tigers move to 8-7 overall and 1-2 in league play.

Doane had to rally from a two-set deficit after the Flames took control early behind efficient offense. CSM hit .320 in the opening frame and followed with a .225 mark in the second to build a commanding lead. The Tigers responded with grit, finding their rhythm in sets three and four to force a decisive fifth.

In the turnaround stretch, Doane tightened its attack and passing. The Tigers swung .191 in set three and a match-best .268 in set four, capitalizing on key kills from Brooke Larsen and Natalie Wood. Setter Camdyn Carpenter orchestrated the offense with 54 assists on the night while adding 20 digs to fuel the comeback.

Larsen led Doane with 17 kills and 12 digs, while Wood matched her with 17 kills and added three blocks. Addison Raebel provided steady production with 12 kills at a .200 clip, and veteran blocker Kate Roseland chipped in 12 kills and four blocks. Carpenter's double-double performance stood out, and libero Kaylee Rammell anchored the defense with a team-high 23 digs.

Doane's serving kept them in the contest as well. Lillian Parolek was a difference-maker at the line, delivering five aces without an error to spark momentum shifts in the third and fourth sets. Overall, the Tigers finished with eight aces and just five service errors, keeping pressure on the Flames' serve receive.

Defensively, the Tigers dug 92 balls, with multiple players in double figures, and collected six total team blocks. Still, CSM's balance across the net ultimately prevailed. The Flames had three players in double-digit kills, led by Caylin Barnett with 17 on a .312 hitting percentage, and Azaria Green, who was a force at the net with 12 kills and seven block assists. CSM's front line finished with 10 team blocks and hit .201 for the match.

In the decisive fifth, Doane jumped out to an early lead at 3-0 behind Parolek's serving but could not hold on as the Flames responded with a mid-set surge. Despite Larsen and Wood combining for late kills, CSM closed out the set 15-12 to secure the victory.

While the Tigers showcased resilience and depth, the Flames defended their home court to even their conference record.

Doane will look to bounce back this weekend with a pair of home contests. First up will be a non-conference matchup with Peru State on Friday, September 19, at 7:30 PM.

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