HOUSTON, Texas - Senior Carina Hoff recorded 27 total kills as the North Florida volleyball team split day one of the Houston Baptist Barcelona Labor Day Classic. The Ospreys lost to host, HBU, 3-1, before bouncing back with a 3-1 victory against Northern Colorado.

Top Performers
Carina Hoff - 11 Kills (vs. HBU) | 16 Kills (vs. UNC)
Gabby O'Connell - 11 Kills (vs. HBU) | 15 Kills (vs. UNC)
Carinne Turner - 30 assists, 16 digs vs. UNC

HOW IT HAPPENED
Houston Baptist 3, UNF 1 (25-22, 25-20, 18-25, 25-20)
The Huskies started the match on a 9-3 run to force UNF to call a timeout. Later in the match, the Ospreys pulled to within two, 22-20, after three kills and a block assist. Houston then tallied three straight points to take the opening set. The second frame featured 13 tie scores and five lead changes. Despite the Ospreys hitting their match-best, the Huskies took the match to go up 2-0.

North Florida jumped out front in the third frame and would go on to to take the set. HBU got to within two twice throughout the set, the last time at 16-14, but never got over the hump as it hit .000 for the frame. It didn't keep the hosts down long though as they bounced back to take the final frame. The Huskies only let up one lead and raced to the win.

UNF 3, UNC 1 (25-15, 25-23, 20-25, 25-23)
Three players tallied double-figure kills against the Bears as the Ospreys hit .291 for the match which included a season-best .526 in the third frame. Carinne Turner dished out 30 assists on the team's 54 total kills, while Madilyn McCarty passed out 16. UNF had little trouble in the first frame as it led by as many as eight at 20-12 to open the match.

The second set did not prove as easy as it featured eight tie scores and two lead changes. Northern Colorado led early in the match, but a kill from Turner turned the match in UNF's favor and it never looked back. UNC took the third set despite the Ospreys' hot hitting. The Bears took the lead late in the set at 20-17 when two straight kills and a handling error from the Ospreys put them ahead for the remainder of the frame. Once again the teams battled in the final frame, but it was North Florida who pulled out the victory between 11 ties and five lead changes.

NOTEABLES
- Senior Morgan Van Alstine dug up a career-best 20 balls in the opening match of the day. She also had 11 kills and five blocks and hit a team-high .429.
- Junior Katarina Raicevic recorded 10 block assists in the split, while also posting 18 kills.
- UNF has yet to lose or win in straight sets.
- The .291 attack percentage against UNC was a season-high for the team.
- UNF also had a team-best 12 total blocks in the loss against HBU.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Ospreys continue their road trip against Penn and Toledo. UNF faces off with Penn at 11 a.m. before taking on the Rockets at 3 p.m.