FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's volleyball team competed against Brescia University and Bryan College in day one of the 2025 Onset Invitational at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Friday, August 22. 

SAINT FRANCIS 3, BRESCIA 2 (20-25, 25-20, 25-21, 26-28, 20-18)

Saint Francis (SF) began the day with a hard-fought five-set match against Brescia.

Throughout the first set, the Cougars and Bearcats traded points. Saint Francis capitalized on an attacking error by Brescia to take a commanding 19-8 lead. However, the Bearcats rallied and finished the first set with a 7-1 run to secure a 25-20 victory.

In the second set, back-to-back kills from Kayla Gumbel put the Cougars ahead 12-7. Brescia responded by narrowing the gap to three points, making the score 20-23. SF closed out the set with a service ace and a kill, winning 25-20 and tying the match at 1-1.

Saint Francis opened the third set with a decisive 7-0 run and maintained the lead throughout. Although the Bearcats managed to bring the score within four points at 23-19, SF held on to win the set 25-21.

With the score tied at 23-23, a block from Teigen Fortkamp and Kyra Parker allowed Saint Francis to take a 24-23 lead at set point. Brescia responded, and the teams continued to exchange points. Ultimately, Brescia managed to win the fourth set 28-26, forcing a fifth set.

In the fifth set, the Cougars hit .346 with 12 kills, leading Saint Francis to a 3-2 match victory over Brescia.

Saint Francis tallied 60 kills, seven aces and 20 block assists against the Bearcats. Three Cougars finished the match with double-digit kills, including Gumbel with 16, Daihya Chupp with 14 and Kendal Frey with 13 kills, respectively. Teigen Fortkamp finished with 48 assists, while Hannah Sweeney led with 27 digs. Kate McMullen and Madison Dhoore both had four block assists each. 

SAINT FRANCIS 3, BRYAN 0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-19)

In their second matchup of the day, the Cougars swept the Bryan Lions, concluding day one of the invitational with a 2-0 record.

Saint Francis hit .306 in set one, tallying 17 total kills to help lead the Cougars to a 25-20 victory. 

The two teams traded points to start the second set. The score was 22-20 in favor of Saint Francis when Bryan fought back, narrowing the gap to one point. However, the Cougars managed to maintain their lead, winning the set 25-23 and taking a 2-0 lead in the match.

In the third set, Saint Francis established an 18-9 advantage. Although the Lions attempted to rally, the Cougars held them off, winning the match with a 3-0 victory.

SF finished with 49 kills, seven block assists and five aces. Four Cougars finished with 10 or kills against the Lions, including Frey (11), Chupp (10), Gumbel (10) and Annabelle Sweigert (10). Fortkamp tallied 36 assists and four kills, while Sweeney had 13 digs.

Up next, Saint Francis (4-2) will conclude this year's Onset Invitational with matches against the University of Cumberlands at 1:15 and Cornerstone University at 5:30 on Saturday, August 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.