FREDERICK, Md.--Senior Ashley Bryan and junior Jamie Gardner combined for 25 kills but it was not enough as the Hood College volleyball team suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat (30-24, 16-30, 30-24, 22-30, 12-15) at the hands of the Catholic University Cardinals Monday evening in a nonconference match at Gambrill Gymnasium.

Hood led virtually throughout the first set and at one point held a 10-point advantage (21-11). Catholic scored 11 of the next 14 points and closed to within 24-22 on a Blazer hitting error. But Hood would not relinquish its lead and closed out the set, 30-24, on an ace by Bryan.

In game two, the Blazers trailed 10-8 before the Cardinals ripped off eight straight points to assume a 10-point edge. Hood got no closer than nine the rest of the way and Catholic evened the match at 1-1 with a 30-16 win.

Hood dominated the third set and used three straight kills by Gardner, Bryan and Leah Garland to go up 14-5 and force the Cardinals to call timeout. The Blazers and Cardinals traded points the rest of the set but Hood maintained its lead and took the third game 30-24.

Game four saw six ties before Catholic's Emily McGlynn served nine straight points to put the visitors up 17-11. Despite trailing by as many as 12, Nagy served up a pair of aces and two Cardinal hitting errors drew the Blazers to within 25-17. But Hood was unable to get closer and Catholic took game four, 30-22, to force a decisive fifth set.

The Cardinals seemed to have the upperhand in the fifth set, assuming an 11-7 lead on a kill by Carey Ann Nassib. But the Blazers rallied to tie the set at 12-12 on stellar blocking by Bryan and Kristina Straub, forcing Catholic to call timeout once again. From that point it was all Catholic as Hood committed a service error and Kilah Fox put down a pair of kills to clinch the match for the Cardinals.

Bryan finished with 15 kills and three blocks while Gardner registered a double-double with 10 kills and 19 digs. Straub set up 26 kills to go along with four kills and seven digs. Senior Jamie Bussey tallied a match-high 37 digs to lead the defense.

The Blazers return to action Wednesday at Capital Athletic Conference foe Gallaudet University at 7 p.m.