In a gritty, gutsy volleyball match between the Quinnipiac Bobcats and the Siena Saints, the Bobcats fought hard but ultimately fell short to the Saints in a mere four sets.

The Bobcats dug themselves into a hole in the first set, committing 14 total errors. Siena was able to capitalize on Quinnipiac’s sloppy play, and behind five kills from sophomore Sara Wagner, took the set 25-22. 

Quinnipiac once again found itself down early in the second set. A 6-3 deficit was quickly erased by multiple kills and a block from sophomore Alexandra Tennon. But Siena kept the pressure on. Headlined by kills from Wagner and sophomore Claire Isaksen, Siena was poised to take another set. 

The Bobcats fought back, eventually taking the set for themselves, punctuated by a vicious kill from sophomore libero Faavae Kimsel Moe. 

In the beginning of the third set, Quinnipiac’s momentum was at an all-time high.. The Bobcats jumped out to an early 13-5 lead. Siena, looking demoralized, fought hard, recording a 5-1 run followed by a 5-0 run to bring itself right back into the fray. Both teams battled back and forth to the end, but an attack error by QU sealed the deal for the Saints, who took the set and a 2-1 lead in the match. 

Staring down defeat, the Bobcats battled their way through the fourth and final set. They once again held a healthy lead early, scoring 10 points to Siena’s six. Following a time-out, the Saints surged back to the tune of a 7-1 run. The teams traded kills, bringing the match down to the wire. Yet again, the Saints pulled ahead, scoring three straight points for a 25-22 fourth-set victory.

Twice the Bobcats held sizable leads in a set, and both times they failed to capitalize on their golden opportunity. Head coach Kyle Robinson acknowledged the team’s inability to finish strong down the stretch.

“We just have to execute,” Robinson said. “You can’t put up leads like that and then squander them away.”

Despite the loss, it was clear that the team had left it all out on the floor. The game’s result did not reflect Quinnipiac’s effort and performance. Team captain Aryanah Diaz praised her coach for his ability to take the loss in stride and move forward in the road ahead. 

“The most important thing about him is that he is not very result oriented, he doesn’t worry about the wins and the losses,” Diaz said. “He is more worried about the work that we put in and whether that’s good or not.” 

Robinson returned Diaz’s praise, complimenting her dazzling performance tonight which included 20 kills for 21 points on 52 total attacks. 

“Her game is on a level unlike most,” Robinson said. “I’d take her on my team any day.” 

The Bobcats now sit 10 games under .500 this season with an overall record of 3-13. Their conference record drops to 2-7 as they look ahead to a weekend in New Jersey. Quinnipiac will face Rider on Saturday followed by Saint Peter’s on Sunday, with both games set to start at 1 p.m.