ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University women's volleyball team dropped a pair of matches as it hosted DeSales University and Stockton University on Saturday.
 
The Knights fell in a 3-2 battled to the Bulldogs (20-25, 17-25, 25-12, 25-21, 15-12). Neumann then dropped a 3-1 decision to the Ospreys (25-13, 22-25, 25-18, 25-16).
 
Against DeSales, Neumann won the first two sets by 25-20 and 25-17 scores. The Bulldogs came back and took set three 25-12 and set four 25-21 to force a fifth set. DeSales took the deciding set 15-12.
 
Maria Brown led the Knights with 14 kills. Regan Hickey added 10 kills. Bre Hickey tallied 22 digs while Dani Smith added 20 and Tori Burgess had 14. Catie Esslinger handed out 17 assists while Smith dished out 14.
 
Leading 21-20 in the first set, the Knights scored four straight points for the 25-20 win, capped by a kill by B. Hickey. Up 19-17 late in the second set, Esslinger had three straight service aces as Neumann took set two 25-17.
 
The Bulldogs held the pace in the third set and held on for the fourth set win. Down 8-6, DeSales scored eight of the next nine points for a 14-9 lead. Neumann took advantage of some Bulldog errors to get to 11, but DeSales took the set 15-12 for a 3-2 match win.
 
In a 3-1 loss to Stockton, Ariana Pena tallied 11 kills. R. Hickey added nine. Smith added 16 assists and 13 digs. Esslinger notched 16 assists. B. Hickey added 12 digs.
 
Down 22-19 in the second set, Neumann went on to score six straight points, sealed by a R. Hickey kill, for a 25-22 win to tie the match at one. The Ospreys came back in the next two sets to take the match 3-1.
 
Neumann (12-17) will be the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic East postseason and will host Immaculata on Tuesday evening in a first round match.