Final Boxscore
Game Book

JACKSONVILLE -- The University of North Florida volleyball team got a trio of double-doubles and held an advantage at the net but fell 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 23-25, 21-25) to Kennesaw State Friday night at UNF Arena.
 
The Ospreys (7-9, 1-2 ASun) boasted a 13-5 edge in team blocks getting eight blocks from Marija Pantovic and seven for Carolyn Jenkins.
 
Paige Pridgeon (19 kills/16 digs), Anna Budinska (13 kills/11 digs) and Casey Giovanazzi (46 assists/11 digs) all posted double-double performances for the Ospreys. Jenkins also hit .440 in the match and recorded a career-best 13 kills in the hard fought loss.
 
The Owls (6-12, 1-2) were led by double-doubles from both Alyssa Lang (17 kills/10 digs) and Justine Young (15 kills/10 digs).
 
“We played and competed hard against a strong Kennesaw State team,” said UNF head coach Kevin Campbell. “We blocked extremely well and got a solid performance from our outside hitters. Carolyn (Jenkins) did a good job both offensively and defensively. We had our chances and just needed to make a break here or there to get a different result. We have to get refocused and prepare for the next match.”
 
Both teams held leads in the opening set and neither team led by more than three points for much of the frame. Kennesaw State built an 18-12 lead midway through and then held off a late UNF charge for the 25-20 win. Lang tallied seven kills in the set with Budinska answering with six kills for the Ospreys.
 
After falling behind early in set two, UNF used an 8-2 surge to grab a 20-15 lead. The Owls scored four straight points to pull within one but never pushed in front as the Ospreys evened the match with a 25-22 victory. Pridgeon and Jenkins combined for 11 of the squad's 15 kills during the set.
 
Set three was another closely contested frame featuring five ties. A pair of late three-point spurts for KSU provided the needed margin of victory. A Pridgeon kill made the score 24-23 before Lang delivered the set-winning kill for the Owls.
 
Kennesaw State raced to a 15-9 advantage in the fourth set only to see UNF chip away pulling to within two, 18-16. KSU pushed back in front by five and did not allow the Ospreys to get closer than two en route to the 25-21 score. The Owls hit a match-high .244 in the deciding set.
 
North Florida concludes its brief home stand Saturday against Mercer at 3 p.m.