FREMONT, Neb. – For a second time this season, College of Saint Mary took a nationally rated Midland University volleyball team to a decisive fifth set.

And for the second time, No. 17 Midland had the final word, edging the Flames 25-17, 16-25, 25-23, 30-32, 15-11 in an entertaining Great Plains Athletic Conference match Wednesday at the Wikert Event Center.

"We played a good match and I was very proud of the girls,'' CSM Coach Rick Pruett said. "Their effort was great.''

After splitting the first two sets, CSM (12-11 overall, 5-7 GPAC) held a 21-19 lead in the third but wasn't able to close it out. That forced the Flames to win the fourth set to extend the match.

A wild fourth saw CSM hold six set points before finally closing it out on a Midland attack error. The Flames fought off three match points by Midland before converting that sixth chance.

In the fifth, College of Saint Mary was unable to slow the Warrior attack. Midland (15-8, 10-3) hit a sizzling .556 in the fifth, with 11 kills in 18 attempts and just one error.

The Flames trailed just 8-6 before surrendering six of the next eight points to fall behind 14-8. Gamely, they fought off three match points before Brooklynn Snyder's kill ended it.

Caylin Barnett and Azaria Green proved to be a formidable duo at the net in defeat. Barnett smacked 17 kills while hitting .382, while Green added 14 and a robust .444 hitting percentage.

"Azaria was great offensively and so was Caylin,'' Pruett said.

Madalyn Welp reached double figures with 10 kills. Kaitlyn Busby had a strong night at setter, distributing 35 assists, and Kennedy Buck had 15.

Elen Pruett led the Flames in digs (22) and aces (3), while Krissy Radicia and Caitlin McCormack had 15 digs apiece. Welp and Mya Weber had four block assists each and Green added three.

CSM returns to action Saturday with a 5 p.m. home GPAC match against No. 4 Concordia University.

"We will move from this and play hard again on Saturday,'' Rick Pruett said.