NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Villanova volleyball team went the distance again on Friday night, falling to the Yale Bulldogs in five sets (14-25, 25-21, 25-18, 18-25, 10-15) at the John J. Lee Amphitheater.

"It's a tough loss, but it was a good environment tonight with a great crowd," head coach Josh Steinbach said. "Yale played really well at the end of the match. I'm bummed for us because we're stuck in a rut, but I feel good that we'll get out of it tomorrow."

It was the Wildcats' sixth five-set match of the young season, with this iteration being the fourth loss.

Riley Homer tallied a double-double for Villanova (3-7) with 10 kills and 10 digs, while Rose Crist (10 kills) and Kathleen Johnson (nine kills) helped lead the VU offense. Kiera Booth totaled seven kills on a .467 hitting percentage, accompanied by a match-high seven blocks.

Yale came out swinging in the opening frame, notching 11 kills to go up 16-11 before the media timeout. The Bulldogs hit .278 and totaled five service aces in the first stanza, allowing the home team to secure a 25-14 victory.

The second set was back-and-forth, as the score was tied at 12-12. But Villanova then went on a 7-1 run to go up 19-13, thanks to multiple service aces from senior Maddie Schieder. Yale clawed its way back into the competition by bringing the score to 22-20, but the 'Cats regained momentum and tied the match at one set each.

VU started hot in the third period, going up 11-6 with five kills and two blocks before Yale took a timeout. The 'Cats were dominant across the board in the frame, including five blocks in the stanza, and moved on to a 25-18 win.

Yale was not to be outdone, though, as the Bulldogs jumped out to advantages of 6-2 and 15-10 in the fourth. Villanova hit just .097 in the frame, and Yale was able to force a decisive fifth.

Set five was Yale-dominated at the start, as five kills and a .714 hitting percentage resulted in an 8-2 Bulldogs advantage. While Villanova battled back to within four, the Bulldogs secured the victory with a 15-10 win.

UP NEXT: The 'Cats will participate in two matches on Saturday, first taking on Sacred Heart at 11 a.m. before squaring off against Fordham later in the evening. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.