WATERBURY, Conn. -- It was a comeback that Post University Women's Volleyball needed to have on Saturday afternoon. Mired in a seven-game losing streak and on the brink of their eight consecutive loss, the Eagles found a way to come back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Holy Family College for their third conference win of the season and first five-set win in over two seasons, 3-2. 

THE BASICS

Post University 3, Holy Family College 2 

Post University (3-16, 3-5 CACC)
Holy Family College (5-14, 3-5 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The first two sets were as close as it could get for the Eagles who opened the match on a 5-0 run started by a service ace from sophomore defensive setter Lynnise Castillo and closed with a kill from senior setter Izabella Rae. Despite maintaining that five-point edge for much of the early going, the Tigers would roar back for a stretch of time in which they would register 12 of 14 points, including runs of 4-0, 5-0, and 3-0 run to take a 16-11 lead. From there on out, Holy Family would control the set as the Eagles would be unable to get within more than two points, 24-22, before sophomore middle hitter Ava Kidd's kill finished off the set.

Trailing 6-5 early on in the second set, it would be Post's turn to go on a run in which they would utilize a 5-0 stretch to take a 9-6 lead which began with back-to-back kills from junior outside hitter Tamara Radovanov and junior middle hitter Hannah Brandt. But the Eagles would be unable to pull away as the Tigers hung around for every Post University run, eventually taking back the lead, 16-15, after a kill from sophomore middle hitter Shelby Kinzer. Fifth-year libero Maeve Boylan's service error gave Post a 23-22 lead, but once again the Tigers answered the call with a 3-0 run polished off by another Kidd kill to go up by two sets.

An even third set saw 14 ties and seven lead changes leading to the Eagles being on the brink of defeat down, 24-23, which they staved off with an attack error from Kinzer before a Kidd kill once again put Post in a precarious spot. Once again, attack errors would come back to bite the Tigers as freshman outside hitter Jayden Bralts had back-to-back errors to put the Eagles on the verge of the set win. Eventually, they would do just that after being tied at 26 with a Radovanov kill and attack error from junior setter Morgan Steck to stay alive.

Tied at 14 in the middle of set four, Post University would make the most of three Brandt service aces and a couple kills to go on a 6-0 run they would not reliquish. Brandt, who finished with a team-high 19 kills, forced a decisive fifth set with a kill, giving the Eagles the 25-18 set victory. Looking to exorcise their fifth-set demons which saw them drop 11 straight matches going to five sets, Post would take a 9-8 lead before putting the nail in the coffin.

It was the Hannah Brandt show down the stretch for the Eagles as their 6-0 run to clinch the win, 15-8, would be manufactured by four kills from the junior from Germany while sophomore libero Alyssa Groves recorded a service ace and another one of 25 errors on the afternoon for the Tigers helped Post go on to an electric comeback win in their first game of the day at the Drubner Center on Saturday. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Caley Harper has now recorded 12 consecutive double-digit kill games, breaking the program record set by Madelynn Boop of 11 straight matches, she has also recorded double-digit digs in seven matches this season now 
• Hannah Brandt led the way on the attack with 19 kills on 31 attacks, good for a .484 hitting percentage on the day -- the 19 kills are a career-high for the junior 
• With the win, Post University snaps a five-game losing skid against Holy Family College, wining for the first time against them since 2017 and first time at home since 2016 
• Post University snapped their five-set losing streak at 11 matches, winning for the first time in five sets since September 24th, 2021 against Dominican (N.Y.)

WHO'S NEXT
The Eagles will hit the court in the final match of the afternoon against Bentley University, a matchup that was originally slated to begin at 5:00 PM inside the Drubner Center, but will be pushed back due to the Bentley-Holy Family match getting underway at 4:00 PM this afternoon. Post University is 1-4 all-time against the Falcons, losing their last four matchups against them dating back to 2018.