MANCHESTER, N.H. — D'Youville (7-13, 2-5 ECC) outlasted St. Anselm (9-9, 1-3 NE10) in a five-set thriller at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium, claiming a 3-2 victory with set scores of 30-28, 25-17, 16-25, 22-25, 15-10.

D'Youville began the first set with an assertive performance, marked by an early kill from Madeline O'Brien, assisted by Alina Bertens Deckart. Despite a service error that allowed the Hawks to briefly lead, D'Youville maintained momentum through strategic plays. A pivotal moment occurred when O'Brien delivered a service ace at 7-8, sparking a run that leveled the score. 

The set's intensity continued with D'Youville responding to St. Anselm's challenges. Key contributions included a kill by Cameron Ulinski and another service ace by O'Brien, narrowing the gap. In the closing moments, D'Youville capitalized on attack errors by the Hawks, with a decisive final point courtesy of an error by Taylor Lacerda, clinching the set 30-28.

D'Youville seized momentum early in the second set, sparked by Anna Chechelnytska's service ace and O'Brien's kill, establishing a 4-1 lead. Giselle Ramirez and Ulinski contributed crucial kills, extending their advantage and maintaining pressure on St. Anselm. Bertens Deckart's consistent setting enabled D'Youville to capitalize on the Hawks' errors, culminating in a decisive 25-17 set win. The set ended with D'Youville's comprehensive performance, achieving a significant margin over the home team.

The Saints began the third set with a strong opening, as Ulinski secured the first point with a kill assisted by Bertens Deckart. D'Youville maintained a close contest, with key contributions from O'Brien, who added multiple kills to keep the score competitive. Despite their efforts, D'Youville encountered challenges as St. Anselm capitalized on a series of attack errors and service errors to pull ahead. 

Madison Bradshaw provided a service ace, and Bertens Deckart continued to facilitate effective plays, but St. Anselm built momentum with a decisive run, ultimately closing the set with a series of successful plays. The set concluded with St. Anselm winning 25-16, resulting in a decisive finish to the set.

D'Youville mounted a strong comeback effort in the fourth set, highlighted by a sequence where they turned a three-point deficit into a brief lead. Ulinski's kill, assisted by Bertens Deckart, initiated the run, followed by kills from Ramirez and a block by Maddie Boglev that tied the score at 4-4. Despite this momentum, the Hawks responded with key points, including a service ace by Sam Pila, regaining a lead they would not relinquish. 

D'Youville continued to fight back, closing the gap to 24-22 with kills from Boglev and Ulinski, but ultimately, a service error ended the set. St. Anselm secured the set with a 25-22 victory.

D'Youville opened the fifth set with a strong performance, with Boglev delivering two early kills to establish a 2-0 lead. Bertens Deckart contributed significantly with a service ace and multiple assists, including setting up kills for Gabrielle Dials and Ulinski, allowing D'Youville to maintain their momentum and widen the gap to 7-4. Despite service errors and attack errors by O'Brien, D'Youville controlled the pace, as Ramirez added two late kills, both assisted by Bertens Deckart, to secure the set. 

The Saints closed out the final set with a 15-10 victory over St. Anselm, concluding the match. Saints volleyball will go into the last quarter of games against conference teams with a 2 game winning streak and a chance to make their way to the ECC championship.