Northfield, Minn. – The University of Chicago volleyball team went the distance in a gritty five-set match on Friday evening but ultimately fell short to host St. Olaf, 3–2 in the first match of their three-game trip in the St. Olaf/ Carleton Tournament. In a match that featured many momentum swings and deep rallies, the Maroons showed flashes of dominance but were unable to overcome a strong finish by the Oles in the decisive fifth set.

The opening set saw UChicago struggle to find offensive rhythm, posting a .125 hitting percentage on 32 attacks, St. Olaf capitalized on Maroon errors to pull ahead late. Despite solid play from Diya Mishra and Adelee Kaiton, who combined for seven of the Maroons nine kills, the Oles pulled away to take the first 25–19.

UChicago responded in set two with what was arguably their sharpest performance of the night. The Maroons hit outstanding, making just two attack errors. A critical stretch midway through the set was fueled by great ball movement from Hillary Cheung and smart swings from Mishra, Kaiton, and Gabi Spellings. Ellie Maxwell's strong serving helped generate a late push—highlighted by a clutch kill from Mishra off a set by Frances Smith that sealed the 25–23 win and tied the match at one apiece.

St. Olaf regained control in the third set, pulling out a tight 25–22 win, though the Maroons kept pace with big kills from Caroline Sele and strong back-row play. St. Olaf's efficiency on offense proved effective.

Needing a response to stay alive, UChicago dug deep in the fourth set and delivered. The Maroons again found rhythm behind the steady hands of Cheung and Maxwell, and the offense roared to life with Kaiton, Sele, and Mishra each finding gaps in the St. Olaf block attemps. A key turning point came late in the frame when Klaudia Barbarossa subbed in and delivered four consecutive kills to close out the set 25–22. 

With the match at two sets apiece, the stage was set for a dramatic fifth. Unfortunately for UChicago, the final frame slipped away quickly. The Maroons couldn't find their rhythm offensively, committing five attack errors. In contrast, St. Olaf was nearly flawless, hitting .727 with eight kills and no errors to seal the match 15–6.

Up Next 

Chicago will face a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 10 a.m. They'll take on Macalester first, then end with the host, Carleton, at 12 p.m.