Boxscore (PDF)
 
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – University of North Florida volleyball ended the regular season on a high note with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-13) sweep of USC Upstate during Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at UNF Arena.

"I'm very proud of this group, especially the seniors," said head coach Steve Loeswick. "We ended the season on a high note, but it is a quick turn-around to the conference tournament, so there is not much time to celebrate. But we are excited that we get to keep on playing!"
 
The win is the Ospreys' 20th of the season. It is UNF's first 20-win season in its Division I era. Additionally, UNF finished Atlantic Sun play with an 11-7 mark, which was also the Ospreys' most A-Sun wins in a single season.
 
Paige Pridgeon registered a 12-kill, 13-dig double-double, while Dagnija Medina added 12 kills. Britt Claessens put up 46 assists, while Nicole Baran dug 22 balls.
 
Emily Bingham led USC Upstate with eight kills. Lexi Gober tallied 22 assists and Emily Sanders had 19 digs.
 
Down by two, a Carolyn Jenkins kill sparked a mid-set, 5-0 run that allowed UNF to go up 17-14 in the opening set. UNF did not relinquish its lead for the reminder of the set and got the set-winner on an Anna Budinska kill.
 
UNF and USC Upstate battled it out in the second set. The Ospreys led by as many as four late into set before the Spartans chipped away as UNF's lead. USC Upstate capitalized on an Osprey miscue to pull to within one as UNF held a 24-23 edge. A Medina kill on the next point provided UNF with the set-winner and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The Ospreys dominated the third set and only allowed USC Upstate to get consecutive points at two different times. UNF went up by 10 when a Budinska kill made it 18-8.  Although USC Upstate attempted to cut into the Ospreys' lead, UNF went on to distance itself from the Spartans and ended the match on a four-point run. A kill from Pridgeon started the run, while Julie Trembley made back-to-back kills to finish it.
 
Following the match, UNF honored its five seniors – Nicole Baran, Carolyn Jenkins, Dagnija Medina, Marija Pantovic and Paige Pridgeon.
 
The Ospreys return to action next week at the Atlantic Sun Championships. UNF begins play at the tournament in the first round on Thursday against cross-town rival Jacksonville at 8:30 p.m., EST/7:30 p.m., CST at Lipscomb's Allen Arena. Winner of the UNF-Jacksonville match advances to the semifinals and faces top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast.