Boxscore (PDF)
Live Stats – UNF at Florida Gulf Coast
 
DeLAND, Fla. – Despite a Division I program record 15.0 team blocks in five sets, University of North Florida volleyball dropped a five-set heartbreaker at Stetson 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 23-25, 25-1X, 15-12) Friday night at the Edmunds Center in the Atlantic Sun opener for both teams.
 
Prior to Friday night's match, the most blocks recorded by a Division I UNF team was 13.0, which occurred against ETSU in the 2012 Atlantic Sun Championship Match on Nov. 17, 2012. The Ospreys' 15.0 total blocks in five sets tied for third all-time amongst the team's single match records. The most team blocks the Ospreys have recorded in five sets was 21.0, which was set at Nova Southeastern on Oct. 19, 1991 before the sport of volleyball entered into the rallying scoring era.
 
Cameron McGuire led the Ospreys' blocking, tallying nine total blocks (four solo, five assist), while Britt Claessens and Morgan Van Alstine each totaled five (Claessens: five assist; Van Alstine: two solo, three assist). Anna Budinska tallied a 17-kill, 14-dig double-double, while McGuire and Van Alstine added 15 and 10 kills, respectively. Claessens put up 50 asssists. Cari Whitmire made 23 digs. As a team, UNF hit .222 for the match.
 
Stetson got double-doubles from Kaley Melville (28 kills, 13 digs) and Kayla Weller (57 assists, 10 digs). Tiffany Creamer also added 19 kills, while Madison Akins had 19 digs. Stetson hit .245.
 
"We played very well for some strings of points, but unfortunately, we are still trying to find a comfort one at the end of sets and matches," said head coach Steve Loeswick. "I have no doubt we will get there, but we just need to keep competing and fighting. We have another good opponent tomorrow."
 
In the first set, UNF led by as many as three points midway through, holding a 17-14 advantage after a Budinska kill. Although Stetson cut UNF's lead down to one with a Melville kill making it 18-17, UNF regained a three-point advantage behind a Koop kill and a Hatter error. However, a Melville kill sparked a late five-point run as Stetson took a 22-20 lead on an Osprey attack error. Back-to-back McGuire kills allowed the Ospreys to even the set at 22-22, but Stetson responded with two points of its own to hold a 24-22 lead. A solo block from McGuire kept UNF alive and made it a one-point set, but a kill from Creamer on the next point gave Stetson the first set and a 1-0 advantage in the match.
 
UNF led from start to finish in the second set en route to tying the match at 1-1. Up by two, UNF used a three-point run to surge ahead to a 15-10 lead. Stetson cut the Ospreys' lead down to two before UNF had another 3-0 run to build a five-point cushion. A pair of Budinska kills and a kill from Van Alstine put the Ospreys up 19-14. UNF continued to pull away, going up 23-16 behind another three-point run. A kill from Hoff sparked this run and Whitmire served up a pair of aces. Although Melville tallied consecutive kills to bring the Hatters to within five, UNF capitalized on a Stetson attack error and a setting miscue to capture the second set 25-18.
 
The Ospreys led throughout most of the third set and were up by as much as six at multiple points late into the set, including when Van Alstine's kill made it 20-14. Stetson had a three-point run that cut UNF's lead into half. The Hatters eventually came to within two as a Creamer kill made it 22-20 in favor of UNF. A kill from Van Alstine and a Hatter attack error pushed the Ospreys to set point and a 24-20 lead. Although Stetson got the next two points to come to within one, a kill from Budinska sealed the set for UNF, who took a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Stetson controlled the fourth set from start to finish. With the Hatters up by four, UNF got kills from Erin Edwards and Saelina Dunn to make it 15-13 in favor of Stetson. However, the Hatters used a late 6-1 run to pull away and hold a 21-14 advantage. Stetson eventually got to set point on a Melville kill to make it 24-17, but UNF stayed alive for three points, using a Hatter attack error and then a solo block from Van Alstine and a block assist from Edwards and Van Alstine to make it 24-20. However, a kill from Ellen Hawks allowed the Hatters to win the fourth set and force a decisive fifth set.
 
UNF came out strong and quickly went up 6-1 on a McGuire-Budinska block. Stetson gradually chipped away at the Ospreys' lead, but UNF was the first to get to eight points, going up 8-5 on a Budinska kill. However, a kill from Melville started a costly six-point Hatter run as Stetson took an 11-8 led. UNF was ultimately able to pull to within one when a Hatter blocking error made it 13-12, but Stetson finished the match with kills from Erika White and Creamer to win the match.
 
UNF returns to action on Saturday evening at Florida Gulf Coast. Match time is set for 7 p.m., from Alico Arena.