University of North Florida
1-3
Tennessee Tech
2-3
UNF Beats Tennessee Tech, 3-2
9/4/2009 7:38:00 PM | Volleyball
North Florida picks up win in first match at the Appalachian Invitational.
BOX SCORE
BOONE, N.C. – North Florida defeated Tennessee Tech in five sets, 3-2 (25-20, 25-27, 23-25, 25-19, 15-7) Friday evening in volleyball action at the Appalachian State Invitational in the Holmes Center in Boone, N.C.
UNF (3-2) will be back in action on Saturday when it faces host team Appalachian State at Noon. The Ospreys will face William & Mary later in the evening at 5 p.m.
The Ospreys were led by junior middle blocker Kaley Read with 27 kills and 13 digs. Junior outside hitter Nallelis Sanfeliz had 10 kills while junior setter Jessica Catelano posted a double-double with 52 assists and 11 digs.
Leading the Golden Eagles was Amanda Lindgren with 20 kills. Leah Meffert had 15 kills, and Melanie Culp recorded 49 assists and 15 digs.
UNF and TTU traded points in the opening set and were tied at 13 before UNF broke open the scoring with a 3-0 run capped by an ace from Read. TTU threatened late and pulled within one at 19-18, but the Ospreys closed out the set by outscoring the Golden Eagles 6-2. Four kills from Read in the final points secured UNF the 25-20 win.
North Florida took an early lead in the second set, going up 6-2, but Tennessee Tech came back to tie the set at seven. The Golden Eagles went on a run over the next several volleys and were up by five as late as 23-18 in the match. Back-to-back kills from Danielle Lerch and Sanfeliz pulled the Ospreys to within three (20-23), but a kill by TTU put the Golden Eagles on match point. On the next rally Dagnija Medina notched a kill to give the ball back to the Ospreys and keep them alive in the set. Medina followed that up with an ace to pull UNF to within two (22-24). A kill from Read and another ace knotted the set at 24 and forced the set into extra points. The two teams traded the next two points and were tied again at 25, but TTU regained possession and scored the next two to take set two 27-25.
The Ospreys took the 14-11 lead in the third, but the Golden Eagles came back, tying the set at 15. North Florida again took the lead off back-to-back kills from Lerch and Sanfeliz, going up 17-15. The Ospreys held on to the lead and were up 23-19, but TTU again rallied and closed out the set with a 6-0 run to close out the set, 25-23 and take set three.
North Florida came out strong in the fourth, going up 9-4 early off a kill by Sanfeliz. The Ospreys stayed on top and took their largest lead of the set at 21-12. UNF rolled to the, 25-19 win in the fourth set to knot the match at two sets each.
UNF controlled the fifth set, opening with a 7-3 run, highlighted by three kills from senior outside hitter Agata Dawidowicz. The Golden Eagles closed the gap to three (9-6), but that is as close as TTU would come as the Osprey closed out with a 6-1 run to pick up the match securing 15-7 win.
