YORK, Neb - York College lost a hard fought match Saturday night in the Freeman Center to KCAC foe University of Saint Mary. The Panthers were able to strike first winning the first set 29-27 before falling 25-20 in the next one. Another extended set in the third went York's way 27-25 before the Spires took the fourth 25-18. The fifth set was back and forth but went the way of the visitors 16-14.

In the first set the Panthers came back from a 14-16 deficit to take a 20-17 lead. The Spires would battle back and lead 22-24 before the Panthers scored two straight to force extra play. A kill by Jolene Herzog (JR/Pullman, Wash) followed by Halie Ewing (SR/Liberty, Mo) getting her own kill the Panthers took the first set.

Set two had the Spires all over it as they jumped out to leads of 10-5 and 17-12. York fought back to make it 18-18 before the Spires went on their own run and took the set 25-20.

York found themselves battling from behind once again in the third set as they came out with mistakes early to give themselves a tough deficit to battle out of. Down 5-2 and 11-5 York needed a run. They battled back with two runs of their own to make it a game. Back to back kills by Molly Little (FR/Billings, Mont) and Ewing put the Panthers withint striking distance at 14-11.
At 22-16 the Panthers needed another timeout as they used the break to push themselves on an 12-3 run. Down 22-15 York used a 4-0 and 5-0 run to take the fourth set. Little and Kylie Wroot (SR/North Platte, Neb) led the charge on each run.

The fourth set found the Panthers once again battling from behind as they were unable to catch up after being down 17-9 midway through the set. Saint Mary used the Panther mistakes to their advantage as the forced the fifth and deciding set.

The fifth set was just what you expected. A back and forth game where neither team would score more than two consecutive points at any give time. Back to back kills by Ewing put the Panthers within one at 12-13 before Little's kill tied the game at 13. After a kill by Kayliana Cox (SR/Castle Rock, Colo) knotted the game at 14 the Spires were able to get the next two and leave with the win.

By the Numbers: Molly Little and Halie Ewing led the Panthes with 15 kills a piece. Kylie Wroot added 11 as the only other player to record double digit kills. Jolene Herzog led the team with 49 assists and 18 digs. Wroot picked up six blocks for the Panthers.

York falls to 2-19 on the season and 1-8 in the conference.