Virginia Commonwealth University

Score: Saint Louis 3, VCU 2 (23-25, 30-28, 21-25, 25-19, 15-11)
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 9-13 (7-7 Atlantic 10), Saint Louis 14-11 (9-5)
 
The short story: Junior outside hitter Lara Del Core led all players with 20 kills for VCU, but Saint Louis turned away the Rams with some late heroics Saturday at the Siegel Center.
 
OPENING VOLLEY

• Del Core hit .351 on 37 swings Saturday. She committed just seven errors
• Junior middle blocker Letizia Galli and senior middle blocker Nina Boledovicova kicked in 10 kills apiece for the Black and Gold. Boledovicova supplied six blocks, while Galli added four
• VCU senior outside hitter Gabby LaPata contributed eight kills, 14 digs, three blocks and three aces to the Rams' cause
• Saint Louis setter Jetta Brenning led the Billikens with 15 kills, 44 assists, 10 digs and five blocks 

THE DIFFERENCE

• Brenning recorded three kills and assisted on three others as the Billikens stunned VCU with a 10-1 run to close out the fifth-set tiebreaker. The Rams stormed out to a 10-5 lead, but were unable to slow Saint Louis' final run
• The Billikens outhit the Rams .278 to .150 in the final frame
• VCU led 16-14 in the fourth, but a Brenning kill, as well as a block and kill by Kayla Jansen sparked an 11-3 blitz to close out the stanza
• Saint Louis outhit VCU .224 to .170 overall in the match. The Billikens also recorded 14 blocks 

NOTABLE
The match was tightly contested throughout. In the first four sets, the teams combined for 58 ties and 28 lead changes
 
NEXT UP
VCU will head to The Bronx to take on Fordham in a pair of matches on Nov. 6-7 at Rose Hill Gymnasium.