WASHINGTON, D.C. - It was only fitting that Thursday night's Capital Athletic Conference volleyball match between Gallaudet University and University of Mary Washington went the distance and then some. Two of the top teams in the CAC battled for over two hours and through five sets before the visiting Eagles won 3-2 at the GU Field House before 300 fans.

Mary Washington (13-4, 3-1 CAC) rallied to win the final two sets as the Bison (8-7, 2-1 CAC) lost, 25-17, 28-30, 29-27, 29-31, 11-15, on "Dig Pink" night at Gallaudet.

The Bison had chances to put the match away early as the Bison cruised to a first set victory, 25-17, before the next three sets went well beyond the usual 25-point total. GU led 28-27 in the second set but freshman Ann Whited (Fishers, Ind.) made a service error which returned the serve to UMW with the game tied at 28. The Eagles then closed out the match with two consecutive points.

Gallaudet fought back in the third set as UMW led 19-12 before the Bison mounted a comeback. Seniors Amanda Krieger (Carmel, Ind.) and Shana Lehmann (Frederick, Md.) came through with timely serves while fellow senior Justine Jeter (Noblesville, Ind.), the reigning CAC Player of the Week, knocked home several kills to close the UMW lead to one, 21-20. The set was within two points the rest of the way before GU pulled out the 29-27 win.

In the fourth set, GU led early on before UMW took over at 6-5 and led until a Jeter kill tied the set at 22 apiece. The Bison served for the set win up 24-23 but the Eagles forced a side-out on a Laura Gomez (10 kills, 12 digs) kill. The two teams went back and forth past 25-points as neither team could close out the set with a two-point advantage. Gallaudet had three additional chances to win the decisive set when it led 26-25, 27-26 and 28-27. UMW senior Anne Lutkenhaus made the set-winning kill off an assist from Katie Shiflett (30 assists, 14 digs) as the Eagles won 31-29. Lutkenhaus led the Eagles with 19 kills and 15 digs.

Mary Washington forced the fifth set and used the momentum built in the fourth set to help propel them to the 15-11 win. UMW led 4-1 before Gallaudet took a 7-5 lead which increased to 8-6 before the teams switched sides of the court. The Eagles outscored the Bison 9-3 the rest of the set.

GU had four players record double-doubles in the loss. Jeter led the way with 22 kills and 19 digs followed by Whited's 17 kills and 17 digs and Krieger added 16 kills and 15 digs. Sophomore setter Paige Johnson (North Richland Hills, Texas) passed out 53 assists and made 13 digs. Lehmann added a team-high 40 digs.

The two home matches for the Bison this season have gone five sets. GU has a 1-1 record in those two games. The Bison defeated Marymount (Va.) University last week, 3-2, on September 24.

The loss overshadows the purpose of "Dig Pink" night which is a cancer awareness initiative run by the Side-Out Foundation. The Bison got into the spirit as they wore special pink jerseys while fans and UMW wore the color pink, in some fashion, to show their support. The money raised will be donated to the Side-Out Foundation.

There is no rest for the Bison as they head north to New York on Friday to participate in the Fredonia State Blue Devil Invitational. Gallaudet begins the tournament against Ithaca College at 4 p.m. followed by an 8 p.m. match against St. John Fisher.