Efficiency Elevates Volleyball Above Flames, 3-0

Friday, October 15

Lynchburg, Va.

6 p.m.

University of North Florida

17-2,6-1ASUN

Liberty

6-8,2-5ASUN

North Florida

Liberty

The Ospreys are 17-2 and 6-1 in ASUN play.

10/15/2021 8:02:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Ospreys Hit .324 and Tie a Season High With 13 Blocks

LYNCHBURG, Va. - The saying goes, "numbers don't lie", and Friday night they certainly didn't as UNF (17-2, 6-1 ASUN) was the model of efficiency on offense and unbreakable on the block in a sweep of host Liberty (6-8, 2-5 ASUN) October 15.

The Ospreys hit .324 as a team while tying a season best with 13 blocks, fueled by eight from middle blocker Maddie Boyd. Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana notched her 10th double-double of the season and 23rd for her career as UNF claimed its first win against the Flames in the series history.

UNF 3, Liberty 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-14)
Inside the Sets

Set 1: Despite being down 16-8, North Florida righted the ship with a furious blocking effort as well as overwhelming offensive output from Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana and Gabby O'Connell to steal the first set from Liberty, 25-22 … O'Connell put up five kills, 3 blocks and .417 hitting … Hollingsworth-Santana also posted five kills … the Ospreys trailed 22-21 before closing the set on a 4-0 clip.
Set 2: A 4-0 UNF run to start the second set established the tone for the session as North Florida led wire-to-wire … UNF hit .500 to create an 18-12 lead … the Ospreys finished the frame hitting .342 with only four attack errors.
Set 3: Liberty held a slight edge in the momentum early, although after a Hollingsworth-Santana kill gave UNF a 9-8 advantage, its first of the set, the Ospreys didn't look back en route to a commanding set three win … a 5-0 run in the middle of the frame was filled with aces, blocks and kills as UNF ran away with it … Grace Youngblood closed things out with a back row kill and an ace ... UNF only had one attack error.

Service ace from Grace Youngblood to give @OspreyVB the 3?-0? win #SWOOPLife pic.twitter.com/LPIfRXumXM
— ASUN Volleyball ?? (@ASUNVolleyball) October 15, 2021

Leaders By the Numbers
Liberty

Aspen Thompson | 10 kills, .500 hitting, 3 blocks
Lindsey Hardesty | 12 digs
Amaya Williams | 31 assists

UNF

Annie Antar | 38 assists, 3 digs, 4 blocks
Rocio Moro | 11 digs, 2 aces, 1 assist
Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana | 15 kills, .355 hitting, 11 digs, 3 blocks, 2 aces, 1 assist
Anna Butler | 8 kills, .500 hitting, 3 digs, 1 block
Maddie Boyd | 8 blocks, 4 digs
Gabby O'Connell | 10 kills, 7 digs, 4 blocks

Notes

This was UNF's first match against Liberty since the 2019 ASUN Championship Quarterfinals.
Antar set a career high for assists.
It was UNF's first win against Liberty in program history and subsequently UNF's first win at Liberty.
UNF reached double figures for blocks for the sixth time this year.
The Ospreys are 6-0 when posting at lead 10 blocks.
UNF is 3-1 in true road matches this year.
UNF notched a season high for blocks in an ASUN match.
Boyd tied a career best with eight blocks.
The Ospreys have had 14 matches with a player posting a double-double.
O'Connell tied a season high for blocks.
Six different Ospreys had at least one block.
Butler has hit over .400 in two of her last three matches and has 32 kills during that time.

Let your defense be the offense #SWOOPLife pic.twitter.com/psF4klk8gL
— UNF Volleyball (@OspreyVB) October 15, 2021

Wright's Words
"My thoughts on the match is that it's hard to win on the road in this conference. I'm super proud of this team. Liberty did some nice things, fending us off; to walk out of here hitting above .300 and keeping them below .200 with 13 blocks in three sets - I'm proud!" -- Head Coach Kristen Wright

.@CoachKWright12 gives her words from Lynchburg following the 3-0 win ??#SWOOPLife x #OSPREYWay pic.twitter.com/ImEvysNQwV
— UNF Volleyball (@OspreyVB) October 16, 2021

Up Next
UNF stays on the road Sunday when it goes to Kennesaw State for a 1 p.m. first serve with the Owls.