University of North Florida
-1013, 88 ASun
University of South Carolina - Upstate
-718, 313 ASun
Perseverance pays off in 3-2 victory
11/1/2008 6:51:00 PM | Volleyball
Three Lady Ospreys finish with double-doubles
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida women's volleyball team closed out a strong weekend in conference play with a 3-2 win (31-33, 25-16, 22-25, 25-20, 15-9) over USC Upstate on Saturday at UNF Arena.
Junior Agata Dawidowicz and sophomore Kaley Read were a duo to be reckoned with, combining for 44 kills. Dawidowicz's 23 kills topped her mark of 22 set on Friday against East Tennessee State and cinched the double-double with 12 digs. Read tallied 21 kills, which was the sixth time this season she has recorded at least 20 kills.
UNF (10-13, 8-8 Atlantic Sun Conference) improved its record to 5-2 in five-set matches this season, which emphasizes its ability to persevere under pressure.
"We've been working on taking it one point at a time and staying strong mentally and physically," head coach Kevin Campbell said. "I always tell them to play it one point at time until they make us stop playing volleyball. That may mean us going three, going four or going five (sets). We are really working on having a positive demeanor, and it's really showed in their game."
The epic match began with a thrilling first set. UNF came back from as many as six down and take a 26- 25 lead on a Dawidowicz kill. The Spartans, however continued to match the wit of the Lady Ospreys and wouldn't let them seal the set. Read's kill put UNF up 31-30, but Upstate went on to score the last three points to go up 1-0 in the match.
UNF used a 12-3 run in the second set to knot the match at one. Read highlighted the charge with three kills. The Lady Ospreys also upped their marksmanship, hitting .344 for the set compared to their .224 first set clip. Read had six kills in the second set.
The Lady Ospreys had a tougher time finding their spots in the third set, hitting .088, but they still put themselves in position for a possible win. Upstate snagged a 19-15 lead, but a kill by Read capped a 6-1 run by the Lady Ospreys to give them a 21-20 advantage. The Spartans wisely took a timeout, which seemingly stifled UNF's momentum, as Upstate turned the tables and won the set on a 5-2 run at the end.
Upstate (7-18, 3-13) got a rude awakening in the fourth set when the Lady Ospreys exploded out of the gate to take a 7-1 lead after sophomore Marshay Greenlee slammed down a kill. Two consecutive service aces by freshman Julie Fye helped UNF widen its lead to 19-9, but the Spartans battled back to pull to within 23-20.
Despite Upstate's run, the Lady Ospreys were able to finish the job to tie the match. After a service error by Upstate's Morgan Thomas, senior Bary Rasmussen and Fye threw down a block to cinch the win.
A kill by Greenlee in the fifth set sent the Spartans retreating into a timeout, but the attempted regroup only fueled UNF's competitive fire. The Lady Ospreys capped the match by going on a 4-0 run, led by two Dawidowicz kills. Fye put the icing on the cake with an ace on the final point.
Greenlee recorded her first career double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs, while Fye notched her second-straight double-double with a season-high 60 assists and 11 digs. It was the first time this season three Lady Ospreys recorded a double-double. Freshman Lizzy Manno and sophomore Chelsea Rabe were solid on defense, combining for 41 digs.
"Julie handled the pressure well today, not only with setting, but also with serving," Campbell said. "I'm happy we were able to get back to the .500 mark, which is good for the development of our program. We want to close out the season strong. I'm really excited about what the team can do next."
UNF will return to action at 7 p.m. on Friday against Mercer in Macon, Ga. The Lady Ospreys will face off against Kennesaw State at 3 p.m. the next day in Kennesaw, Ga.
