Final Boxscore (pdf)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida volleyball team closed out their regular season schedule with an impressive 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-23) sweep Saturday afternoon over USC Upstate at UNF Arena.

The Ospreys end the regular season with a 21-10 overall record and a 7-7 mark in conference play. The 21 victories are the second most in the program's Division I era and Saturday's win secured the No. 5 seed for UNF in the upcoming Atlantic Sun Tournament.

Courtney Miller led a balanced UNF offense with 14 kills followed by junior Morgan Van Alstine with 12. Senior Ambre Desaulnay posted a double-double in her home finale finishing with 10 kills and a career best 18 digs.

Freshman Ashley LaBorde paced the UNF back row collecting a career high 26 digs. Van Alstine was also a force at the net defensively finishing with six blocks.

The Osprey setter duo of Abby Fesl (27) and Carinne Turner (25) combined for 52 assists in the contest and led UNF to a strong .298 hitting performance.

"Our defense and blocking has really been solid the last few matches," said head coach Steve Loeswick. "I was proud of the team's effort down the stretch and winning 21 matches in the regular season is a pretty nice accomplishment. I thought the middles were really effective today and the setters did a great job of distributing the ball. I like how we are playing headed into the postseason."

The opening set started as a back-and-forth sideout battle until a five-point run put the Ospreys in front, 8-6. UNF's front line collected a trio of blocks in the early surge.

The Spartans knotted the score at eight before an 11-4 run for UNF capped by five consecutive points put the Ospreys in front for good at 19-12. Upstate used a 5-1 spurt to trim the Osprey lead but Morgan Van Alstine tallied kills for three of the final four points in the 25-18 victory.

A 6-1 run midway through the second set gave UNF the momentum and a 10-6 lead. The Ospreys would maintain a multi-point lead and closed out the set on an 8-2 run for the 25-16 win.

In the third set, North Florida jumped out to an early 6-1 lead sparked by a pair of opening aces by Fesl and back-to-back kills from Miller. A five-point spurt for the Spartans tied the score at nine before the squads settled into a sideout battle.

With the score knotted at 19, UNF scored four of the next five points to regain the advantage before Miller collected two straight kills to secure the match win with a 25-23 decision.

North Florida next faces crosstown rival Jacksonville in opening round play of the Atlantic Sun Tournament, Thursday in Nashville.