ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — The Catholic University volleyball team dropped a fiver-setter to Elizabethtown on Friday night.

Catholic battled back to force a fifth frame after going down 2-1 but could not overpower the home team in the decisive fifth set, falling 15-12.

Heather Stout's team got out to a difficult start, dropping the opening set by the narrowest of margins. Despite putting together runs of four-straight points to start the match and a 5-0 run toward the end of the set, the Blue Jays were able to edge Catholic 27-25 in the opening frame.

The Cardinals responded by opening the second set on another 5-0 run behind two blocks from Grace Guerin, who totaled four on the night. The second set remained tight but Catholic ensured that it moved even by taking four out of the last five points to even the match at 1-1. Gaby Hernandez-Ferraiuoli produced a big ace to set up set point.

A tough third set saw Catholic fall behind but the Cardinals responded emphatically by taking the fourth frame, 25-14.

It was Elizabethtown who got out to the hot start in the final set, winning the first five points of the frame. A 4-0 run later pushed Elizabethtown out to a commanding 12-6 lead but Catholic did not fold. The Cardinals responded with a 4-0 run of their own to fight off four-straight match points before the Blue Jays finally capped off the set via a Georgianna Kahley kill.

Olivia Blondin led the Cardinals with 27 kills while Erin Faughnan also added 11, hitting a team-best .476 on the night. Sydney Sheppard provided a staggering 52 assists. Both Blondin and Sheppard posted double-doubles as the pair both registered 13 digs apiece.

Catholic will now face a quick turn around. The Cardinals will battle Susquehanna in another Landmark Conference contest tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Selinsgrove, Pa.