BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team won the first two sets against Canisius on Saturday afternoon, but suffered a five-set defeat in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play in Buffalo, N.Y. 

Gaby Zovko continued her impressive sophomore season, becoming the seventh player in Division I this season to record three triple-doubles with 50 assists, 10 kills and 10 digs. Her 50 assists is her second-highest total of the season, as she tallied a career-best 53 against Kent State on Sept. 7. 

The pair Camryn Luginbuhl and Allison Murray finished the contest with double-doubles. Luginbuhl racked up 26 kills and 15 digs, while hitting .254. Murray tallied 13 kills and 14 digs for her fifth double-double of the year. Miliani Villarreal almost finished with a double-double on 27 digs and nine assists. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 7-11, 3-3 MAAC
Canisius: 8-9, 4-2 MAAC
 
Top Performers:
Camryn Luginbuhl: 26 kills, 15 digs, .254 hitting percentage 
Gaby Zovko: 50 assists, 10 kills, 10 assists, 4 aces, 2 digs
Miliani Villarreal: 27 digs, 9 assists 
Allison Murray: 13 kills, 14 digs  

How It Happened:
The first set started with both teams exchanging runs until SHU held a 17-13 lead following a 6-1 surge. The Golden Griffins rallied to tie the score at 22-all before the Pios put the pedal down to secure a 25-23 victory. A Zovko kill preceded a Murray ace before Luginbuhl ended the frame with a spike. 

Sacred Heart rode its momentum from the first set into a strong start in the second, going up 15-10 early on. Canisius had another run ready, getting as close at one, 17-16, but the Pioneers again slammed the door shut. SHU won eight of the last 10 points in the set to secure a 25-18 win. Sydney Stanfield and Murray both tallied aces to highlight the run. 

The Pioneers opened the third set ahead by seven by the 15-8 mark. Luginbuhl tallied five kills over the start of the set, while back-to-back Zovko spikes put SHU up seven. SHU went up by as much as nine, 19-10, in the set before the Golden Griffins started to rally. Canisius strung together a 14-4 run to take a 24-23 lead in the frame. The Pios answered by fighting off three set points, but ended up suffering a hard-fought 29-27 defeat. 

Unfortunately for the Pioneers, Canisius also came out on top of a close fourth set, 25-23, to force a fifth. 

With the score tied at 4-4 in the fifth, the Golden Griffins took control of the set with a 6-0 run to storm ahead 10-4 lead. The Pios battled back to cut the margin to four, 12-8, but Canisius ended the match on a 3-0 run for the five-set triumph. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers continue their western New York trip tomorrow with a 1 p.m. match at Niagara.