UNF-Coastal Carolina Boxscore (PDF)
UNF-Bethune-Cookman Boxscore (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – During the final day of home-opening weekend and the Jax Marriott Volleyball Classic, University of North Florida split its matches for the second-straight day. The Ospreys fell to Coastal Carolina 3-2 (22-25, 26-28, 25-14, 25-15, 15-12), but bounced back with a 3-0 sweep (25-19, 25-15, 25-22) of Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.
"Coastal Carolina is a very good team and have a lot of great hitters. We battled well for most of that match and unfortunately, came out on the wrong end of a five-set match," said head coach Steve Loeswick. "Our team rebounded tonight and played well early and was able to get another win against Bethune-Cookman."
Following the final match on Saturday, it was announced that Tessa Alyman was named to the All-Tournament Team after tallying 39 kills, averaging 3.00 kills per set and hitting .243 as an outside hitter in 13 sets played.
UNF returns to action at next weekend's Hampton Inn & Suites of Holly Springs Invitational that is being hosted by Campbell. UNF begins the tournament with a Friday match against Elon at 4:30 p.m., and concludes it with matches against Campbell (12:30 p.m.) and South Carolina (4:30 p.m.) on Saturday.
Coastal Carolina 3, UNF 2
After winning the first two sets, UNF was unable to hold off Coastal Carolina's comeback in what was the Ospreys' first five-set match of the season.
Behind an 8-1 run, the Ospreys went up 17-11 on a block from Cameron McGuire and Carinne Turner in the first set. However, Coastal Carolina attempted to fight back and came to within one with a Miona Milovanich ace to make it 20-19. A kill from Erin Edwards and another Turner ace put the Ospreys up by three, but two quick Chanticleer points brought it back to a one-point set. The Ospreys took advantage of consecutive Coastal Carolina attack errors to move to take a 24-21 lead. After a Chanticleer kill, Edwards recorded the set-winning kill.
Both teams battled in the second set that included nine ties and seven lead changes. A McGuire block and back-to-back Whitmire aces put UNF up 22-19. Coastal Carolina answered with a five-point run to move to reach set-point and hold a 24-22 lead. UNF fought back and held off set-point, capitalizing on a Coastal serving error and then getting two big points from Courtney Miller to go up 25-24. Coastal Carolina regained a 26-25 lead after two Osprey attack errors. However, a kill from Miller and two huge blocks provided UNF with the final three points of the set.
Poor hitting by the Ospreys and consistent hitting by Coastal Carolina resulted in UNF dropping the third and fourth sets. In the third set, UNF was unable to overcome multiple mistakes and Coastal Carolina hit .250. The Chanticleers' largest lead came with set point as an Osprey attack error provided Coastal Carolina with an 11-point, third-set win.
Down 17-10 in the fourth set, a kill from Morgan Van Alstine sparked a four-point spurt that cut UNF's deficit down to three. However, Coastal Carolina ended the set on an 8-1 run to force a decisive fifth-set.
After UNF tied the fifth set at 9-9 behind a McGuire-Turner block, Coastal Carolina gained a three-point, 13-10 advantage. The Ospreys pulled to within two twice, but Lian Bernett had the match-winning kill.
Three Ospreys – Miller, Turner and Cari Whitmire – each served three aces. Alyman recorded 14 kills, while Miller added 11. Turner notched 36 assists. Whitmire and Kimberly Ferguson tallied 19 and 11 digs respectively. McGuire, who had nine blocks against Georgia State on Friday night, made six blocks against the Chanticleers.
UNF hit .056 and had 46 kills.
Leah Hardeman tallied a 17-kill, 10-dig double-double. Eszter Nagy added 10 kills and hit .643. Sam Skryd put up 52 assists and Jenna Orner tallied 20 digs.
Coastal Carolina hit .201 for the match and made 62 kills.
UNF 3, Bethune-Cookman 0
The Ospreys overpowered Bethune-Cookman to conclude the Jax Marriott Volleyball Classic. UNF led both the first and second sets from start to finish.
In the first set, UNF hit .214 and forced Bethune-Cookman into making seven errors. UNF's largest lead was eight points, which came early in the set. Bethune-Cookman was able to cut UNF's advantage down to four on several occasions. The Ospreys strung together consecutive points twice to hold a seven-point, 24-17 lead. Bethune-Cookman fended off set point twice before an Alyman kill won the set.
Several runs early in the second set allowed UNF to take a 14-7 lead. The Wildcats answered with a five-point spurt to cut the Ospreys' lead down to two. However, UNF scored three-straight points with each of its next three service rotations in order to increase its lead to nine. A kill from Haley Harrison put UNF up 23-14. After a Bethune-Cookman kill, a Wildcat error and an ace from Kimberly Ferguson provided the Ospreys with the final two set points.
UNF and Bethune-Cookman fought for control of the third set. Eleven ties and four lead changes occurred in the close set. Trailing 18-17, McGuire had a kill and then served two-straight aces to put the Ospreys ahead 20-18. UNF was able to hold off Bethune-Cookman in the final points, taking the set and the match on a Wildcat service error.
McGuire led UNF with 10 kills, while Abby Fesl had the first double-double (28 assists, 10 digs) for the Ospreys this season. Cari Whitmire added 12 digs. Both Fesl and Alyman served three aces and Van Alstine made five blocks.
