Gary, Ind. -- Sophomore Emileishka De Jesus (Hobart, Ind./Portage) broke the school record for kills in a match after recording 31 on the tonight in Indiana University Northwest's 3-2 victory against St. Francis (Ill.) Tuesday.

IUN (9-3, 5-2 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) won the first two sets, 25-18, 25-21 then USF (11-9, 6-2 CCAC) answered with the next two sets 25-20, 25-20 before the RedHawks won the fifth set, 15-13.

Indiana Northwest went up 7-2 early in the first set before the Fighting Saints scored the next four points to pull within a point. The RedHawks made another run after back-to-back service aces by De Jesus made it 13-7. 

IUN grabbed their biggest lead of the set after an attack error by USF made it 20-12, the Fighting Saints rallied for three in a row but the RedHawks were able to finish it off and take the opening set 25-18.

USF built an early 4-2 early in the second set then went up 10-7 before both teams became evenly matched then tied at 18-all. The RedHawks had the answer with four straight after a service ace by De Jesus, back-to-back kills by Erica Kik (Griffith, Ind./Griffith) and a kill by Kila Stoudt (Eaton Rapids, Mich./Eaton Rapids) made it 22-18 which helepd IUN eventually take the set 25-21.

The Fighting Saints needed to win the next set to stay alive started off the third one on a high note going ahead 10-7. After a set by Cara Nebel (Portage, Ind./Portage), Bella Kuechenberg (Lowell, Ind./Bishop Noll) was able to tie it at 13-all after her kill.

After a kill by Robyn Griffin (Downers Grove, Ill./Lisle Senior) tied it at 15, USF was able to take control of the match outscoring IUN 10-5 the rest of the way to win the set, 25-20.

Both teams were evenly matched in the early going in the fourth set being tied 12-12 before the Fighting Saints rallied for the next six points to go ahead 18-12. After a set by Maddie Maatman (Beecher, Ill./Illiana Christian), De Jesus kept the RedHawks in the set after picking up the kill to cut it to 3 but that was the closest IUN got in the set after USF tied the match after winning the fourth set, 25-20.

The fifth set decided the match and it was close all the way through. However, IUN went up 4-1 early after a kill by Mary Markusic (Munster, Ind./Bishop Noll) but USF had the answer to tie it at seven.

The Fighting Saints went ahead 8-7 before both teams switched sides then the set went back-and-forth. With the match tied 13-all. De Jesus ended the match with back-to-back kills to win the set 15-13 and won the match 3-2.

Along with her 31 kills in the match, De Jesus led the way on defense with 23 digs. Caitlin Alwine (Goshen, Ind.) had a big night on the defensive side of the ball, picking up 13 digs. 

Kuechberg recorded 12 kills on the night and Kik rounded out the IUN attack with 10 kills while also adding six blocks at the net. Nebel recorded 35 assists for the match and Maatman had 19 to lead the RedHawks. 

IUN looks to keep rolling as the RedHawks travel to Arlington Heights, Illinois for another CCAC matchup Thursday, October 3 to take on the Robert Morris Eagles starting at 7 p.m. CT.