#VB Concludes Benson's Group Invitational With Losses to UNC Greensboro, Louisiana

Saturday, September 14

Athens, Ga.

10 a.m.

University of North Florida

3-6

UNC Greensboro

5-3

North Florida

UNCG

#VB Concludes Benson's Group Invitational With Losses to UNC Greensboro, Louisiana

9/14/2013 6:53:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: North Florida Athletics

UNF-UNC Greensboro Final Boxscore (PDF)
UNF-Louisiana Final Boxscore (PDF)
Roadtrippin' With the Ospreys

ATHENS, Ga. – University of North Florida volleyball ended the Benson's Group Invitational with losses to UNC Greensboro and Louisiana on Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum. The Ospreys fell 3-1 (18-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-13) to UNC Greensboro on Saturday morning and then were swept 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-19) by Louisiana in the afternoon.

"We are heading the right direction, but we need to try and find some consistency in more aspects of our game," said head coach Steve Loeswick. "The team is excited to get back into the gym and continue our process of getting better with every opportunity we get."

In the day's first match, UNF captured the first set against UNC Greensboro. The Ospreys opened the set with a 5-0 run that quickly separated them from UNCG. UNF went on to lead by as many as nine when an Anna Budinska kill made it 16-7. Although the Spartans were able to cut the Ospreys' lead down to four when Karrian Chambers' kill made it 21-17, UNF notched four of the last five points of the set in order to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

UNF and UNCG battled it out for most of the second set. After a Carina Hoff kill evened the set at 16-16, the Spartans used a 5-0 run to go up 21-16 and attempt to pull away from UNF. The Ospreys chipped away at UNCG's lead, and facing set-point, UNF went on a 4-0 run to tie the set at 24-24. Budinska had the kill that tied the set to keep the Ospreys alive. However, UNCG got kills from Olivia Humphries and Morgan Freeman en route to tying the match at 1-1.

In the third set, UNF cut an early five-point deficit down to four, taking advantage of a Spartan attacking error to make it 11-10 in favor of UNCG. However, the Spartans used a three-point run to build a four-point cushion, taking a 15-11 lead on a Humphries kill. UNF was able to cut the Spartans' lead down to one on five occasions, including late when a Spartan attacking error made it 22-21. However, UNCG took advantage of three-straight UNF attacking errors to win the set and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

UNF was unable to rebound from an early five-point Spartan run in the fourth set. UNCG used multiple runs to distance itself from the Ospreys. A mid-set 7-0 Spartan run saw the Ospreys trail 17-10. UNCG then used an 8-1 to close out the fourth set and the match.

For the second match in a row, Budinska and Britt Claessens each had a double-double. Budinska's 12-kill, 10-dig double-double was her fifth of the season, while Claessens 28-assist, 10-dig double-double was her second. Cari Whitmire tallied 16 digs.

Humphries led the Spartans with a 12-kill, 11-dig double-double. Chambers added 14 kills and Freeman tallied 10 kills. Emily McMurtrey put up 24 assists and Katherine Santiago notched 23 digs.

In the day's second match, UNF held several slim leads over Louisiana in the first set, including at 17-15 on a kill by Cameron McGuire. Louisiana got two quick points and was able to tie the set at 17-17. The Ospreys went up by one on a Claessens kill, but Louisiana used a three-point run to go up 20-18. UNF came to within twice before the Ragin' Cajuns ended the set with another three-point run and go up 1-0 in the match.

UNF had to contend with a hot-hitting Louisiana team in the second set. The Ragin' Cajuns hit .500, making 16 kills on 28 attacks and only committing two errors. After trailing by as many as five early on, UNF pulled to within three as a Budinska kill made it 11-8 in favor of Louisiana. The Ragin' Cajuns used an Osprey service error to jump start a six-point run and go up 17-8. UNF was only able to get four more points in the set, recording two kills and seeing Louisiana commit an attack error and a service error, as the Ragin' Cajuns went on to win the second set and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

After a close start to the third set, UNF used a three-point run to go up 15-13. A service ace from Budinska gave the Ospreys its two-point lead. A kill from Kaylee Nemeth sparked a 6-1 run for Louisiana, who went on to take a 19-16 lead. UNF was only able to pull to within two on two occasions in the set's final points, including at 20-18, before Louisiana finished the match with a 5-1 run.

Budinska led UNF with nine kills. Claessens made 18 assists and Whitmire tallied 16 digs.

Nemeth and Tonice White each had nine kills for Louisiana. Andrea Hole had a 30-assist, 15-dig double-double. Caitlyn Auxilien tallied 16 digs.

Following the conclusion of the Benson's Group Invitational, Budinska was named to the All-Tournament Team. It is the second time this season she's earned an All-Tournament Team honor. Budinska was previously named All-Tournament at the Holiday Inn Select/UCF Invitational. During the Benson's Group Invitational, Budinska tallied 37 kills and 32 digs and she had a double-double in two of the Ospreys' three matches.

UNF finishes its six-match road trip next weekend with its first set of Atlantic Sun matches. The Ospreys visit Stetson on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m., and the take on Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.