WASHINGTON – The Catholic University of America women's volleyball team suffered their second defeat of the season and their first Landmark Conference loss of the year on Tuesday night, falling to the Goucher College Gophers in five sets (11-25, 25-23, 25-22, 3-25, 15-11) in the DuFour Athletic Center.

CUA started out in a positive direction, beginning with a set one 25-11 win.  It appeared that the Cardinals lost their momentum in the next two sets, with the mighty black and red trailing from the start of each, but unable to maintain control. Despite tying on several occasions.  Concluding set two and set three 25-23 and 25-22, respectively.

Catholic came out with an explosive dominance in the fourth set, going on to hold the Gophers to a three-point loss to level the match at two set wins apiece. 

With the match in either team's control, the Cardinals turned an 8-5 lead into a 15-11 set five loss for CUA's second defeat of the season.

Three CUA student-athletes tacked on double-figure kill finishes with Mary Paige Nesfeder leading the Cards with 15 kills.  Kathryn Herrington finished with 12 kills and Brynn Cooley added 10 kills on the night.  Michelle Seals set the entire match and circulated 42 assists in the loss.  Cooley served up four aces, alongside three service aces from Nesfeder and Michelle Bouchard.  Out of the team's total 67 digs, Bouchard gathered 20 and Seals collected 14.  Herrington and Audrey Bizak recorded four solo blocks apiece.

The loss drops Catholic to 15-2 overall and 0-1 in Landmark play.

The Cardinals return to the DuFour Athletic Center to host the first Landmark Conference weekend on Saturday, September 27 featuring Catholic, the University of Scranton and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.