Boxscore (PDF)
 
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Multiple career nights and a trio of seniors with double-digit kill totals powered University of North Florida volleyball to a 3-2 (25-23, 24-26, 25-23, 21-25, 15-13) win over host College of Charleston in the Ospreys' opening match of the Courtyard Charleston North Classic.
 
Offensively, both Carolyn Jenkins and Marija Pantovic had career nights. Jenkins made 19 kills and tied her career-high. Pantovic recorded a career-high 15 kills, breaking her previous career high of 14 that was set against the Cougars last year. Dagnija Medina added 13 kills and hit a solid .370. Additionally, Britt Claessens tied her career-high of 54 assists
 
Defensively, Nicole Baran recorded a career-high tying 30 digs. It was the second time in her career that she's reached the 30-dig plateau.

“Tonight goes to show the depth of our team,” said head coach Steve Loeswick. “The fact that we have different people capable of having very good offensive nights, it's very promising for the future.  It's nice not to have one person carry us to victory, but to have multiple people step up on any given night.
 
“Although it wasn't our most efficient match, I was extremely happy with how we performed in a close match on the road,” added Loeswick. “We definitely had new people stepped up, and it was exciting to see. We're looking forward to improving as a program and as a team and am ready for tomorrow.”
 
Darcy Dorton led the Cougars with a 21-kill, 14-dig double-double.
 
All five sets were tightly contested. Neither team built a significant lead throughout any of the sets, making each set's final points extremely critical. In the first set, UNF captured the set-winning point on a Cougar attack error and went up 1-0 in the match.
 
The Ospreys held set point twice in the second set. However, with the Ospreys up by two, Emily Neideffer's kill started a four-point run that allowed the Cougars to come back, take the set and tie the match at 1-1.
 
UNF capitalized on back-to-back errors by the Cougars in order to win the third set and go up 2-1. In the fourth set, UNF attempted to come back from a late College of Charleston run, pulling to within two twice. However, the Cougars won the set with back-to-back kills to force a deciding fifth set.
 
Control of the fifth set went back-and-forth between the two teams. With the set tied 13-13, a Cougar attacking error gave UNF the match point. Then a Jenkins kill closed out the match and gave UNF the win.
 
“We're hoping they can play in those situations at a high level regardless of score,” said Loeswick.  “Charleston is a very good team. We were definitely excited to make big plays at the end of those sets.  The girls did a great job. They earned it.”
 
The Ospreys wrap up the final day of the Courtyard Charleston North Classic against Memphis at 10 a.m., and an exhibition with the Slovenian Junior National Team at 4:30 p.m.