WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The Catholic volleyball team looked to extend its win streak to three games on Friday night in a Landmark matchup against Elizabethtown. The Cardinals stormed ahead 2-0 in the match and stayed composed after falling convincingly in the third set, bouncing back to win the third set and clinch the contest, 3-1.

The Cardinals had their best offensive set in the opening frame as they picked up a match-high 17 kills while hitting .324. Catholic took a 7-3 lead early in the action after back-to-back kills from Julia Turchiano while Juliette Cummings and Mariana Roman Cruz also added kills. The Cardinals held the lead the rest of the set and used a 4-1 run to close out the set with Cummings, Roman Cruz and Julia Raab all delivering kills to close out a 25-17 win to go ahead 1-0.

In the second set, the Blue Jays gained a 9-7 lead early in the action but the Cardinals responded with a 7-0 run where Erin Faughnan and Alani Rivera Diaz recorded kills and Tanya Sichling added an ace to give the team a 14-9 lead. Catholic held on to a slim lead for the rest of the set and were ahead 21-20 and it took four of the last five volleys and Cummings closed the set with a kill to take a 2-0 lead, 25-21.

Elizabethtown had an effective offensive set in the third to take the set 25-13 while hitting .323 to force a fourth frame. The Blue Jays got ahead 10-9 in the fourth set, but the Cardinals regained control with a 4-0 run after Faughnan came up with back-to-back kills. Catholic opened up a five point lead and Faughnan closed out her big night with a match-clinching kill to give the Cardinals the set 25-20 to take the match.

The Cardinals improved their record to 12-13 on the season and they are now 6-2 in conference play. With the win, Catholic clinched a top four seed in the Landmark Conference tournament, guaranteeing it will host a match in the first round of the tournament. 

Faughnan led the team with 11 kills while hitting .667, which is the third time she has hit .600 or better in a match this season. She raised her hit percentage to .342 on the season, which is the fourth-highest in the conference this season. Raab and Cummings each finished behind her with nine kills while Raab also delivered a team leading 15 digs. Kate Berra and Anna Maria Carella tied for the team lead in assists with 19.

Alejandra Garcia came up with 11 digs and Roman Cruz and Cummings each finished with five blocks. It was a career-high in blocks for Roman Cruz. 

Catholic takes on Susquehanna on Saturday, November 1 on the road at 1 pm. The winner will clinch the third seed in the conference tournament.