Boxscore (PDF)
 
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of North Florida volleyball team closed out the 2012 Tiger Invitational with a 3-2 (21-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19, 15-8) loss to Nicholls State on Saturday at the Hearnes Center.
 
Paige Pridgeon paced the Ospreys with a 25-kill, 14-dig double-double. Carolyn Jenkins chipped in with 14 kills. Britt Claessens registered 44 assists, while Nicole Baran came up with 18 digs.
 
Jennifer Brandt had a 13-kill, 10-dig double-double for the Colonels. Sarah Terry and Jessica Addicks each had 10 kills. Nancy Taylor put up 44 assists. Jeanne Logarbo and Brooke Hopper tallied 15 and 14 digs, respectively.
 
Nicholls State jumped out to an early lead in the first set before UNF fought back. With the set tied 12-12, Marija Pantovic's kill started a three-point run that put the Ospreys up 15-12. UNF led by as many as four before the Colonels had a run of their own and tied the set up at 17-all on an Osprey attack error. UNF and Nicholls State battled over the next few points before the Ospreys got back-to-back points on two occasions that lifted them over the Colonels in the first set. With UNF up by one, kills from Anna Budinska and Pantovic put the Ospreys ahead by three. Although Nicholls State cut the Ospreys lead down to two on the next point, kills by Pridgeon and Claessens gave UNF the last two points it need to take the first set 25-18 and a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
In the second set, several large runs allowed the Colonels to distance themselves from the Ospreys. Nicholls State led by as many as six on three occasions, including when an Osprey attacking error gave the Colonels a 19-13 lead. However, a kill by Jenkins sparked a 4-0 run that allowed UNF to cut Nicholls State's lead down to two. The Colonels responded by getting three-straight kills and an ace to regain a six-point advantage, going up 23-17 on Hopper's ace. UNF cut the Colonels' advantage back down to four, but Brandt eventually got the set-winning kill as the Colonels won the second set 25-19 and tie the match at 1-1.
 
Multiple runs allowed the Ospreys to soar to a win in the third set. UNF led for a majority of the set, only trailing the set's first few points. With the Ospreys up by two, back-to-back 3-0 runs eventually allowed UNF to go up by six. A Jenkins kill gave UNF the six-point, 15-9 advantage. UNF pushed its lead to eight when Cameron McGuire's kill put the Ospreys ahead 20-12. Nicholls State capitalized on several UNF miscues to make it a five-point set, but UNF continued to pull away with a Claessens kill closing out another set. UNF won the third set 25-18 and went up 2-1 in the match.
 
UNF and Nicholls State battled back and forth throughout the first half of the fourth set. However, with UNF up 12-11, a kill by Brandt was the start of a 4-0 run that allowed the Colonels to go up 15-12. Although UNF got the next two points to make it a one-point set, Nicholls State used multiple back-to-back points to pull away and win the fourth set 25-19 and force a decisive fifth set.
 
Nicholls State started the fifth set with a 4-0 run en route to leading the entire set. Straight kills from Budinska and Jenkins pulled the Ospreys to within two, but the Colonels kept increasing their lead and eventually went up 10-5 on a kill by Amanda Newlin. UNF was able to come to within three when Nicholls State committed an attack error to make it 11-8, but the Colonels ended the match with a four-point run.
 
Following Saturday's matches, the All-Tournament Team was announced with Pridgeon earning a spot on the team. Pridgeon registered 52 kills in three matches, averaging 4.33 kills per set, and hit .254. She also had 22 digs and four aces.
 
UNF returns to action at next weekend's Courtyard Charleston North Classic. For the second-straight tournament, the Ospreys open the weekend's host as they face College of Charleston on Friday at 7 p.m.