Cougars Drop Two on Final Day of Palm Beach Juniors Classic
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#11 Montana Western (1-2) | 25 | 25 | 26 | 3 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (2-1) | 16 | 21 | 24 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
College of Saint Mary (NE) (4-0) | 25 | 27 | 25 | 3 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (2-2) | 21 | 25 | 17 | 0 |
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's volleyball team concluded the 2025 Palm Beach Juniors Classic with two non-league matches against No. 11 University of Montana Western and College of Saint Mary on Saturday, August 16.
#11 MONTANA WESTERN 3, SAINT FRANCIS 0 (25-16, 25-21, 26-24)
In their first match of the afternoon, the Cougars faced Montana Western, who entered the game ranked No. 11 in the NAIA Preseason Poll and with an overall record of 0-2.
The Bulldogs grabbed an early 8-2 lead to start the first set to force a Saint Francis timeout. The Cougars tried to battle back, but fell short in the opener 25-16.
Montana Western began the second set with another strong run, but Saint Francis fought back to tie the score at 9-9. A service ace from Brenna Haines gave Saint Francis the 10-9 lead. The teams continued to trade points, but Saint Francis narrowly lost set two, 25-21.
The third set saw both teams exchanging points, leading to a 22-22 tie. Saint Francis managed to pull ahead with a crucial kill, but Montana Western tied the score again at 24-24. The Bulldogs would hand on to win the set 26-24, taking the match 3-0.
As a team, Saint Francis recorded 29 kills, 33 digs, and eight block assists. Madison Dhoore led the Cougars with 11 kills on 28 attempts, while Kendal Frey contributed nine kills. Annabelle Sweigert added five kills and four block assists, and Teigen Fortkamp finished with 22 assists and three block assists. Hannah Sweeney led the team with 10 digs.
COLLEGE OF SAINT MARY 3, SAINT FRANCIS 0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-17)
In their second match of the day, Saint Francis faced the College of Saint Mary.
The two teams battled in a close first set, with kills from Sweigert and Dhoore, along with an attacking error by the Flames, giving the Cougars a 14-12 lead. After trading leads, CSM narrowly pulled ahead and won the first set by four points.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the second set. After CSM capitalized on a Saint Francis attacking error to reach set point, the Cougars tied the game again to extend the set. Saint Francis and Saint Mary saw the score tied again at 25-25, but the Flames would hang on to win set two, taking a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Flames carried their momentum into the third set, winning it 25-17 and sealing the match victory, improving their season record to 4-0.
The Cougars had 32 kills and six block assists in the second match of the day. Sweigert led the Cougars with 14 kills and a hitting percentage of .458. Frey added eight kills, and Dhoore finished with six. Sweeney contributed 15 digs, while Kellyn Bertsch added 11 digs. Fortkamp had 26 assists.
Saint Francis (2-2) returns to the Summit City to host the 2025 Onset Invitational at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on August 22-23.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. SF Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 20 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. Approximately 1,800 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.
