The Oglethorpe volleyball team forced a fifth set after falling behind 2-1, but fell in the fifth set for a 3-2 (22-25, 25-12, 25-22, 29-31, 15-6) loss against Rhodes in Memphis, Tenn., Saturday.

Down 2-1 going into the fourth set, the Petrels started off well with a 4-0 run. They watched Rhodes come back and build a 11-7 lead, but then went on a run of their own to tie the set, 12-12. From there, Rhodes went on a big run to put the Petrels in serious jeopardy, going ahead 19-13. Oglethorpe made a big comeback to tie the score at 22-22. From there, the two teams traded points for the rest of the set. With the set tied 29-29, the Petrels won the final two points, including a kill from junior outside hitter McKenna Bondarenko to end it, 31-29, and tie the match at 2-2.

Unfortunately, the Petrels fell behind early in the fifth set, and found themselves down 13-4. They went on to lose, 15-6.

The Petrels went ahead with a 25-22 first-set win. The set went back and forth in the early going, with the score tied 11-11. From there, the home-standing Lynx went on a run to take a 16-12 lead, but the Petrels answered right back for a 21-20 lead of their own. After Rhodes won back-to-back points to take the lead, the Petrels went on a big 4-0 run of their own to close the set, 25-22.

However, Rhodes took the next two sets to bag the 2-1 lead. They went ahead 17-9 in the second set before winning 25-12. Then in the third set, with the game tied 10-10, the Stormy Petrels went on a run to take a 15-11 advantage. However, Rhodes came back to tie it, then took a 22-19 lead. Oglethorpe won three straight to tie the score again, 22-22. However, Rhodes won three straight from there to win the set, 25-22, and take the 2-1 lead.

Bondarenko led all Petrels in the match with 21 kills. No one else went into double figures. Junior setter Anna Marie DiSalvo passed out 34 assists on the day and also tallied 14 digs. Meanwhile, junior libero Megan Makuck led the team with 19 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Erin Shelton came up with 13 digs, while sophomore opposite hitter Hayley Baer recorded 11 of them.

The Petrels fall to 4-6 on the season, 0-4 in SAA competition. They take to the court again Sunday afternoon in Conway, Ark., when they battle SAA opponent Hendrix at 1 p.m. Eastern time.