Final Boxscore
Game Book

STATESBORO, Ga. – The University of North Florida volleyball team opened a three-match road swing with a tough 3-0 (15-25, 19-25, 20-25) loss Wednesday night at Georgia Southern.
 
Behind a strong .330 hitting performance for the match, the Eagles (11-9) prevented the Ospreys (8-10) from reaching the .500 mark for the season.
 
A trio of UNF hitters shared the lead on offense as Paige Pridgeon, Dagnija Medina and Carolyn Jenkins each finished with seven kills on the night. Defensively, Nicole Baran collected a team-best 16 digs followed by 10 for Anna Budinska.
 
GSU's Meredith Paskert led all players with nine kills. The Eagles posted a 9-1 advantage in blocks and also held a 6-1 edge in service aces in the match.
 
Slow starts plagued the Ospreys in two of the three sets as the team continually had to dig its way out of early deficits.
 
In the opening set, Georgia Southern seized a 10-3 lead to start the match. The Ospreys battled back behind a 5-1 spurt that trimmed the margin to three at 12-9. The Eagles scored the next five points and eventually built a double-figure margin in the 25-15 victory.
 
North Florida did grab the momentum in set two scoring six of the first eight points for a 6-2 advantage. Unfortunately, GSU answered with four straight points then regain the lead moments later with a six-point surge. UNF rallied to within two points before the Eagles closed the set, 25-19, scoring the final three points.
 
Set three resembled the opening frame as GSU raced to a quick 7-2 lead. The Ospreys refused to fold and closed to within one, 11-10, following a four-point surge of their own. The Eagles gained some breathing room with their own four-point spurt before UNF again rallied to make things close. Georgia Southern's defense stiffened as they fought off the Ospreys final surge to earn the sweep with a 25-20 decision.
 
The Ospreys continue their road swing this weekend with a pair of key ASun matches Friday at USC Upstate and Saturday against ETSU.