UNF-Tennessee Tech Boxscore (PDF)
UNF-Eastern Kentucky Boxscore (PDF)
UNF-Tennessee Live Stats (Saturday)
UNF-UNC Greensboro Live Stats (Saturday)
 
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of North Florida volleyball captured both of its matches during the first day of the Dish Tennessee Volleyball Classic on Friday at Thompson-Boling Arena. Strong hitting powered the Ospreys to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-10) sweep of Tennessee Tech in the day's first match. UNF came back in the second match to take a 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 15-10) victory from Eastern Kentucky.
 
"Once again, we had a lot of people contribute throughout the day," said head coach Steve Loeswick. "I am really happy with their effort and how they fought through a long second match. Tomorrow will be a tough day with two very good opponents."
 
UNF concludes play at the Dish Tennessee Volleyball Classic on Saturday with matches against host Tennessee at 10 a.m., and UNC Greensboro at 4:30 p.m.
 
UNF 3, Tennessee Tech 0
Behind five players with an attack percentage of .346 or higher, UNF hit .460 in the 3-0 sweep of Tennessee Tech.
 
The Ospreys' .460 hitting percentage ranks fifth all-time for a three-set match in program history. Additionally, it is UNF's highest hitting percentage for a three-set match since the Ospreys hit .464 against Augusta State on Oct. 29, 2004.
 
Both Erin Edwards and Katarina Raicevic hit .600 for the match. Edwards had six kills off 10 attack with no errors, while Raicevic connected on a match-high 14 kills off 20 attack and only two errors. Morgan Van Alstine hit .583 (9 kills, 12 attack, 2 errors), while Ambre Desaulnay had a .417 hitting percentage (6 kills, 12 attack, 1 error). Tessa Alyman rounded out the Osprey offense with 11 kills and a .346 hitting percentage.
 
Abby Fesl put up 37 assists. Meanwhile, Alyman also added a match-best 12 digs for her second career double-double.
 
Cody Dodd led Tennessee Tech with 12 kills and Susan Jeziorowski had 28 assists and a team-best six digs.
 
Tennessee Tech hit .221 for the match.
 
UNF overcame a slow start in the first set, rallying from an early six-point deficit. A key five-point run midway through the set put the Ospreys up 15-11. The Ospreys strung together multiple points and held an eight-point 22-14 lead on a Van Alstine kill. Van Alstine also provided the set-winning kill a few plays later.
 
The Ospreys held off an attempted late comeback by the Golden Eagles in the second set. With UNF up 21-13 after a Raicevic ace, Tennessee Tech chipped away at UNF's lead. A kill from Dodd made it a three-point, 22-19 set. The teams traded points until a Raicevic kill won the set and gave UNF the 2-0 lead for the match.
 
The Ospreys dominated the third set, hitting an impressive .667 and making 19 kills off 27 attack with one error. UNF went on runs with six of its eight serving rotations. UNF gained its double-digit lead with an Edwards kill that made it 16-6.
 
UNF 3, Eastern Kentucky 2
Tessa Alyman and Abby Fesl both had double-doubles and Kimberly Ferguson notched a career-best 27 digs as UNF went to its first five-set match of the season.
 
Alyman, who has three double-doubles in five matches so far this season, tallied a career-high 24 kills and a career-high 15 digs. Fesl notched a 46-assist, 13-dig double-double. Additionally, Katarina Raicevic recorded 16 kills.
 
UNF hit .225 for the match, tallying 69 kills, 88 digs and 10 assists.
 
Danielle Hicks and Rachel Vick led Eastern Kentucky with 14 and 11 kills, respectively. Johanna Boyer put up 39 assists, while Chloe Rojas had 21 digs.
 
Eastern Kentucky hit .166 for the match.
 
In a close first set that featured 12 ties and seven lead changes, UNF had a late 22-21 advantage after a Raicevic ace.  However, Eastern Kentucky used a Celina Sanks kill to go on a crucial three-point run to make it a 24-22 set. Although UNF stayed alive after a Colonel service error, a Sanks kill won the set.
 
Neither team could gain much of an advantage in the second set. However, the momentum swung towards UNF's favor late. Tied 20-20, kills from Raicevic and Ambre Desaulnay put the Ospreys up by two. After an Osprey service error, an Alyman kill sparked a set-ending three-point spurt that allowed UNF to win the set and even the match at 1-1.
 
A four-point run provided Eastern Kentucky with enough of a cushion to pull away from UNF. As the Ospreys trailed by one, a stretch of four Osprey miscues allowed the Colonels to go up 19-14. The closest UNF could get in the set was four points on several occasions, including at 24-20 on a Raicevic kill. However, an Ally Peters kill won the set and put Eastern Kentucky up 2-1.
 
UNF strung together points during the fourth set in order to take a 21-16 advantage. A block from Alyman and Van Alstine gave the Ospreys the five-point lead. Eastern Kentucky attempted to cut into the deficit and pulled to within two points on two different occasions, including at 23-21 on a Peters kill. A kill from Alyman and an Eastern Kentucky attack error provided UNF with its final two points it needed to win the set and force a decisive fifth set.
 
UNF went on a key five-point run midway through the fifth set in order to pull away from the Colonels. Three kills from Alyman and two from Edwards put the Ospreys up 11-6. UNF increased its lead to six with an Edwards and Raicevic block making it 13-7. Raicevic ultimately made the match-winning kill.