Box Score Siena Volleyball flirted with winning its season opener for the first time in eight seasons on Friday night, but ultimately fell 3-1 (25-20, 13-25, 15-25, 26-28) to Holy Cross in their first match of host Stonehill College's Skyhawk Invitational to open its 2024 campaign in Easton, Ma.

Trailing 18-13, the Saints went on a 12-2 run to complete the first set comeback with some solid serving from Hannah Bowman, who picked up an ace, and the front-line play of Sara Wagner (two kills), and newcomers Maggie Seymour and Doga Diraz, who each contributed with a kill during that stretch.

Siena (0-1) unraveled a bit in the second and third sets, unable to find consistency behind the service line.  The team committed 14 service errors as opposed to eight aces on the night. 

Siena came back to hit a team-high 16 kills in the fourth set to make things interesting including a late 3-0 run behind a Seymour kill, a combined block by Wagner and Ella Treasure and an attacking error by the Crusaders to push ahead 24-23 for a match point opportunity.
 
But a Saints' attack error and a kill by the Crusaders' Rian Millership put Siena down a point.  The teams traded points and Siena spoiled the first two match point opportunities for Holy Cross before a kill by one of Abbie Lane's 14 kills sealed it. 

Olga Sawinska led Siena with 12 kills on a .385 hitting percentage.  Wagner finished with seven kills and nine digs, but also had six service errors.  Sonja Meyer and Sina Toroslu added six kills apiece, Oliwia Majtyka collected a team-high 16 assists while Diraz and Seymour had four kills apiece in their debuts as a Saint. 

The Saints dropped to 14-2 in all-time meetings with Holy Cross, who play in the Patriot League, but were meeting them for the first time since 2005.

The action continues Saturday with matches scheduled against Purdue Fort Wayne of the Horizon League at 11 a.m. followed by a match up with host Stonehill of the Northeast Conference at 4 p.m. at Merkert Gymnasium.