GRANITE BAY, Calif. – The St. Francis volleyball season ended Thursday night in a tough five-set match at No. 2 seed Granite Bay in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II quarterfinals. St. Francis, the No. 7 seed, finishes the season with a 20-16 record.

“I am very proud of the girls for their battle,” said Head Coach Alynn Wright, who completed her 27th season at the helm of the program. “They played with a tremendous amount of heart and played tonight as a team.

The teams battled all tight, splitting the first four sets. The Grizzlies jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the decisive set before the Troubadours bounced back within two at 11-9.

“Our momentum in the fourth game did not carry onto the fifth game,” said senior Abby Fitzgerald. “They started really strong and we were not ready for it. We played catchup too late.”

But Granite Bay pulled it out 15-11.

“We just gave up too many points in the fifth set to start,” said Wright. “Once we settled down we out-played them but we could not make up the six we spotted them.”

St. Francis took a 2-1 lead in the match, winning the first and third sets. Facing elimination, Granite Bay won the fourth set 25-19 to equal the match.

“It was not meant to be this season,” said Wright. “We had a tremendous amount of growth individually and collectively. When look back and we played them in September, they pretty much beat us handily. For us to take it to five and battle and have them worried is rewarding. But I am competitive and I wanted to win.”

Wright and the Troubies will say goodbye to three seniors who played their last high school match: Fitzgerald, Nina Sanfilippo and Ashlynn Fresques.

 “I am going to miss these girls,” said Fitzgerald. “I am really going to miss playing with all of them and watching our team grow. We were not the most successful in the beginning of the season but we have grown so much it is incredible.”

Granite Bay and St. Francis have now met in the section playoffs in four of the last five seasons, including three section final appearances.