EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.  -  The Cougars did all they could and pushed the visiting Skyhawks to their limit on Saturday afternoon, but UTM narrowly emerged victorious over the Cougars in a five-set affair.

The Cougars started off strong in the opening set, holding the visitors to a hitting percentage of just .089 en route to a 25-22 first frame victory. The Cougar attack remained consistent in the second, but the defense could not find their footing - the Skyhawks registered 12 kills in the set and put together a number of service aces to claim a nine-point set win and even the set score at one each. The third set belonged to the Skyhawks, as UTM hit .409 and held the Cougars to their lowest percentage of the afternoon to emerge with a dominant 25-12 win. SIUE would recapture the momentum in the fourth set, as the Cougar defense notched a trio of blocks and held the Skyhawks to their lowest hitting clip of the match to earn a 25-21 set win and send the match to a decisive fifth set. After the Cougars put together a pair of 3-0 scoring runs, the Skyhawks showed why they're among the top squads in the Ohio Valley Conference and cap off the match with a five-point win.

Julia Treichel led all players with 17 kills on the afternoon and fell just one dig shy of notching a double-double. Savannah Christian once again proved her formidable skill in attacking position, registering 10 kills, a pair of blocks, and a pair of digs. Annie Ellis notched six total blocks and eight kills, while Jenna Taphorn led the Red & White with an impressive .385 hitting percentage on seven kills. Alyse Drifka once again eclipsed the 30-assist milestone, while Nicole Kijowski recorded a team-best 23 digs.

The Cougars, who fall to 5-17 overall and 2-9 in OVC play, will cap off this three-match homestand with a Tuesday night showdown against in-state rival Eastern Illinois. First serve from First Community Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m.