Box Score

KENNESAW, Ga. - The University of North Florida women's volleyball team brought more than enough intensity and stellar blocking to down Kennesaw State, 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 18-25, 27-25), on Saturday.

UNF (11-14, 9-9 Atlantic Sun Conference) put up eight total blocks, led by senior Bary Rasmussen, who had seven block assists to go along with 10 kills. Sophomore Kaley Read had a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. She also put up three service aces for the fourth time this year.

"We served well and played steady," head coach Kevin Campbell said. "Their outsides were really strong, and their setters were solid, but Kaley came through with some crucial kills at the end. We were able to persevere and come through with a big win."

The Lady Ospreys set the tone of the match in the first set with an improbable comeback. With the score 20-15 in favor of the Owls, Campbell rallied the troops in a timeout and helped UNF play smart in a 10-3 run to seal the win. Seven of the Lady Ospreys' 10 points were Kennesaw State errors. Sophomore Danielle Lerch tallied three kills and hit .429 for the set.

UNF rode the coattails of the first set stand and grasped control of the second set's momentum. With the set knotted at 13, the Lady Ospreys put together a 10-3 charge to claim a commanding 23-16 lead. Lerch had a kill and combined for a block with Rasmussen, while Read threw down a kill and an ace during the run.

Lerch put UNF up 2-0 in the match when she terminated a Julie Fye set. Rasmussen took over the set for the Lady Ospreys with five kills, two blocks and a .625 hitting percentage. Read also tallied two aces in the set.

Kennesaw State (6-22, 5-13) had its best set of the night in the third stanza, hitting .306 compared to UNF's .139 hitting clip, to make the match 2-1 in favor of the Lady Ospreys. Despite the set three setback, UNF wasn't fazed.

Each team traded points in the fourth set until kills by Read and freshman Shawna Metcalf combined with two Kennesaw errors gave the Lady Ospreys a 17-14 advantage. UNF held on to the three point lead until the Owls jabbed back with three- straight points, which was highlighted by two consecutive service aces by Rachael Albright.

KSU had a 23-22 lead when Read and Metcalf blasted two kills to put UNF in a position to seal the match. But after an Owl timeout, Kennesaw State turned the table on the Lady Ospreys and took a 25-24 lead.

The Owls weren't able to finish the job, however, and UNF capitalized. Two-straight errors by KSU gave the Lady Ospreys a 26-25 lead. From there, Read took the reins and capped the win with a monster kill. She defined her performance in the final set with seven crucial kills.

Lerch finished with nine kills, while sophomore Marshay Greenlee notched eight kills and eight digs. Fye stood out with 36 assists and 13 digs for her fourth double-double of the season.

"I was pleased with our team blocking today, especially with Bary's dynamic performance," Campbell said. "Danielle stepped up and brought good energy to the court, and I thought Julie did a good job of running the offense. "

The win improved UNF's four-set record to 5-4 and gave the Lady Ospreys their second season sweep against a team this year. UNF has now won three of its last four.

The Lady Ospreys will return to the court at 7 p.m. on Friday for a battle with first place A-Sun team Florida Gulf Coast at UNF Arena. Live stats and live video will be available on UNFOspreys.com.