RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Felician University women's volleyball team recovered from an 18-11 fourth-set deficit to complete a 3-1 (25-14, 25-13, 24-26, 25-23) Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory over visiting Goldey-Beacom College on Saturday afternoon at Job Gymnasium.

Senior outside hitter Maddie Sloan (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) put down a career-high 22 kills for Felician (9-16, 7-6 CACC). Sloan hit to a .381 attack percentage and added 14 digs. She had seven kills during the fourth set.

The victory put Felician on the verge of clinching a CACC playoff berth for the fourth consecutive year. The Golden Falcons could secure a spot in the 2021 CACC Championship tournament prior to their next match based on other league results from the weekend, or would do so with a victory over Nyack College on Tuesday in Rutherford. Felician also moved back to within a half-game of first place in the CACC North Division with four matches left to play.

Guided by setters Miquela Martinez (Santa Fe, N.M./St. Michael's) and Alexis Rigdon (Lake Worth, Fla./Spanish River), Felician attacked a season-best .280 rate. Martinez (27) and Ridgon (25) combined for 52 assists, with Martinez adding 11 digs and Rigdon three kills.

Felician cruised to victory in each of the first two sets. But the Lightning (7-17, 3-11) raced out to a 13-7 lead in Set 3. The Golden Falcons scored the next eight points, and a later 5-0 run put the hosts ahead, 21-15. Still down 23-20, GBC clawed back, saving a match point while claiming the set's final three points, including two on Julia Syrdahl (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) kills, to extend the match.

Set 4 followed a similar pattern, but this time the Golden Falcons held on. The Lightning led, 9-3, and were still up, 18-11, before Felician used two Sloan kills, plus two kills and an ace by Catherine Lentsch (Elkhorn, Neb./Elkhorn South), to win the next six points. Still trailing 20-17, the hosts rattled off a 7-0 spurt, reaching match point on a Martinez ace. The Lightning defense fought off three more match points, before, out of a Felician timeout, a Hannah Chiswick (Pittstown, N.J./Delaware Valley) kill handed the Golden Falcons the victory.

Syrdal hit .386 and led Goldey-Beacom with 14 kills. Lightning libero Nehshlian Roman Concepcion (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/Arizona Western College) totaled 29 digs and six assists.

Chiswick hit .378 with 17 kills and nine digs and Lentsch added nine kills for Felician.

Tuesday's match against Nyack is set for a 7 p.m. start in Rutherford.