Boxscore (PDF)
 
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – University of North Florida volleyball picked up another critical Atlantic Sun victory on Saturday afternoon as the Ospreys defeated Northern Kentucky 3-1 (30-28, 25-19, 23-25, 25-15) at UNF Arena.
 
“Obviously, I'm very excited with the weekend overall,” said head coach Steve Loeswick. “The team did a heck of a job at staying in system and executing our game plan. I'm very happy that we got two wins this weekend, but we don't have much time to celebrate because we have the conference's top team [Florida Gulf Coast] on Tuesday. We're going to do our best to be ready for another brutal match.”
 
For the third time this season, Carolyn Jenkins notched a career-high tying 19 kills. Jenkins had multiple key kills throughout the match, including the set-winners in the first and second sets.
 
Paige Pridgeon and Anna Budinska each added 11 kills to the Osprey offense. Pridgeon also recorded 11 digs for a double-double. Britt Claessens posted her second-straight double-double with a 48-assist, 11-dig performance.
 
Nicole Baran and Cari Whitmire each dug 15 balls.
 
Kelly Morrissey led Northern Kentucky with 15 kills, while Kylee Tarantino tallied 21 digs.
 
UNF overcame a late six-point deficit to make it an exciting first set. Trailing 19-13, a Jenkins kill sparked an eight-point run that allowed the Ospreys to go up by two. Marija Pantovic served up two aces during the run, including one that put UNF up 21-19. UNF and Northern Kentucky battled for control over the next 18 points, incurring eight ties. The Norse went up 28-27 on a Jayden Julian kill, but UNF answered with a kill from Budinska to make it 28-all. Then back-to-back kills from Jenkins put the set away.
 
Multiple runs and a Claessens service ace gave UNF its first of several seven-point advantages – its largest of the second set. Claessens' ace put the Ospreys up 19-12. From there, UNF did not allow Northern Kentucky to get any closer than five for the rest of the set.
 
The third set went back and forth until Northern Kentucky had a late seven-point run that resulted in the Norse go up 24-20. Facing set point, UNF battled back and pulled to within one on a Pantovic kill. However, a kill from Morrissey won the set as UNF held a 2-1 advantage in the match.
 
UNF rebounded with a solid fourth set. The Ospreys pulled away from the Norse early and eventually went up by nine, capitalizing on a Northern Kentucky miscue to go up 22-13. After trading points, Pantovic sealed the win for the Ospreys with a kill.
 
The Ospreys close out a four-match homestand on Tuesday when they welcome Atlantic Sun leader Florida Gulf Coast. Match time is set for 7 p.m., at UNF Arena.