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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Cari Whitmire recorded her second 30+ dig match in as many days as University of North Florida volleyball held on for a key 3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 26-24, 25-27, 16-14) Atlantic Sun win against USC Upstate on Saturday afternoon at UNF Arena.
 
"Our team has been playing well the last few weeks," said head coach Steve Loeswick. "It was really nice to get in front of our home crowd and finish two close matches this weekend."
 
After having 30 digs against Kennesaw State on Friday night, Whitmire made a career-high 32 digs in Saturday's match. It is the third time in her career in which she's had a 30+ dig match. Meanwhile, it is the first time since 2012 in which an Osprey had consecutive 30-or-more dig matches. Nicole Baran had 30 digs against both Western Carolina (Sept. 14, 2012) and North Carolina A&T (Sept. 15, 2012) at the Winthrop Invitational.
 
"Cari's doing a heck of a job keeping balls off the floor," said Loeswick. "She's been doing very well for the last month.  We've expected her to makes those types of plays and Cari's taken it upon herself to make sure it happens."
 
UNF used several runs to pull away from USC Upstate in the first set. The Ospreys went up 17-12 on a Courtney Miller kill. UNF's lead extended to six on three occasions, including at 22-16 when Madison Hatcher had a kill. USC Upstate responded with a four-point run to cut the Ospreys' lead down to two, but UNF finished the set on a three-point spurt. Erin Edwards provided UNF with the set-winning kill.
 
The Ospreys had to contend with a consistent hitting USC Upstate team in the second set. The Spartans, who hit .393 for the set, strung together multiple points and went up 19-15 on an Osprey attack error. UNF trimmed USC Upstate's lead down to two twice, including a 20-18 on a Cameron McGuire kill. However, USC Upstate finished the set on a 5-1 run to tie the match at 1-1.
 
Both the third and fourth sets featured 13 ties. The close third set had seven lead changes as neither team could build much of an advantage. UNF could only muster up a two-point lead, while the Spartan's largest lead was three points early in the set. The Ospreys got to set-point when a block by Miller and Morgan Van Alstine made it a 24-22 advantage. USC Upstate got two quick points to fend off set point and tied the set at 24-24 on an Osprey attack error. Kills from Miller and Tessa Alyman gave UNF the set's final points and a 2-1 match lead.
 
A late six-point run allowed UNF to go up 19-16. However, the Spartans erased the Ospreys' lead and made it a 21-21 set with a Kaleigh Kelley service ace. UNF eventually moved to set point, taking a 24-23 lead with a Carina Hoff kill, but the Spartans scored two quick points to have the 25-24 advantage on their side. A kill from Miller kept the Ospreys alive, but kills from Kayla Eversgerd and Shannon Weiss forced a fifth set.
 
An early 9-1 spurt allowed UNF to cruise out to a 10-3 lead in the fifth set. The Spartans used two separate four-point runs to erase the Ospreys' lead and eventually tie the set at 13-13. A kill from Miller put UNF up by one, but the Spartans answered with a Lexi Gober kill to even the set again. Tessa Alyman's kill on the next point returned a one-point lead to the Ospreys. Erin Edwards and Alyman made a huge match-winning block on the next play to seal the win.
 
McGuire recorded 15 kills for the second match in a row. Miller tallied a 13-kill, 19-dig double-double. Both setters Abby Fesl and Carinne Turner had double-doubles as well. Fesl made 35 assists and 11 digs, while Turner had 24 assists and 14 digs. Kayla Fessler added 20 digs.
 
UNF hit .184 and made 71 kills and 110 digs.
 
Eversgerd paced USC Upstate with 20 kills and 34 digs. Weiss added a 15-kill, 19-dig double-double, while Gober had a 51-assist, 24-dig double-double.
 
USC Upstate hit .178 with 63 kills and 114 digs.
 
UNF returns to the road with its final non-conference match of the season on Tuesday. The Ospreys travel to Florida A&M for a 7 p.m., match.