Volleyball Narrowly Edged in Five Frames at Liberty

Sunday, October 16

Lynchburg, Va.

12 p.m.

University of North Florida

6-13,4-4ASUN

Liberty

13-7,6-2ASUN

North Florida

Liberty

UNF Volleyball team photo at Jacksonville

Photo by: Jose Visaez

10/16/2022 7:11:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

McKnight, White Post Double-Doubles

LYNCHBURG, Va. - Despite outblocking Liberty, receiving double-doubles from Kailey McKnight and Mahalia White and getting 16 kills from Solimar Cestero, North Florida volleyball was clipped in five frames by the Flames (13-7, 6-2 ASUN) in the road-weekend finale Sunday, Oct. 16.

McKnight tallied her fifth-straight double-double, while White went for 12 kills and 13 digs in the first double-double of her career, which was also good for a career high in digs.

Sunday's match marked the fifth five-set contest UNF has played this year, as North Florida (6-13, 4-4 ASUN) dropped to 3-2 in such matches.

Both teams had their moments, with sets one, two and five not featuring a single tie score or lead change, while sets three and four featured 15 tie scores and four lead changes. Three of the five frames featured 4-0 runs to open the set.

UNF 2, LIB 3 (12-25, 25-17, 25-21, 19-25, 7-15)

Inside the Sets

Set 1: Liberty took a 4-0 lead and held the advantage the whole frame thanks to .423 hitting in the first stanza.
Set 2: In a display of a short memory, North Florida erased the first frame and bounced back with its own dominant set as the Ospreys raced out to a 4-0 lead and never let go of it … 17 kills, only three attack errors and .400 hitting as a team fueled the second set … Cestero found her groove in the second frame, posting seven kills as Savannah Cook dished out 16 helpers.
Set 3: For the first time all afternoon, a set was tied outside of the 0-0 beginning point as things were knotted up at 17-17 … UNF managed to hit .345, committing seven fewer attack errors than the Flames to work itself into a 2-1 set advantage after the third stanza.
Set 4: After the second frame took after the narrative of the first, set four mirrored the third as the two teams found themselves even, 17-17, once again … some unforced errors marred the late stages of the fourth as Liberty evened the contest up with the help of a 7-1 run.
Set 5: UNF reversed a point with a successful challenge, but the momentum shift wasn't enough to overcome Liberty's 4-0 start to the fifth and decisive session … McKnight reached a double-double in the final frame, but team attack efficiency provided much of the difference in score in the end.

Leaders By the Numbers
UNF

Solimar Cestero | 16 kills
Mahalia White | 12 kills, 13 digs
Kailey McKnight | 10 kills, 12 digs
Savannah Cook | 47 assists
Rocio Moro | 16 digs, 2 aces
Kierstyn McFall | 8 kills, .333 hitting percentage, 5 blocks

Liberty

Kamryn Bacus | 18 kills, .447 hitting
Delaney Dilfer | 56 assists, 4 aces, 17 digs
Lydia Burts | 12 kills, 8 digs, 3 blocks

Notes

UNF is 3-2 in five-set matches this year.
North Florida has played to a five-set match in all but one of the ASUN weekends thus far in 2022
UNF is 2-2 in five-set ASUN matches
McKnight has posted a double-double in each match this month
White's previous career high for digs was nine as she tallied her first double-double
Cestero has paced the Ospreys in kills in four matches this season
It was Cestero's fifth double-digit kill match this year and her fourth in five contests
Maddie Boyd and Kierstyn McFall both hit .333 on the match, combining for eight blocks
Savannah Cook posted 47 assists in consecutive matches, giving her four 40-plus assist matches in five contests
UNF is 3-6 all-time against Liberty
UNF has split all four ASUN weekends thus far as the Ospreys hit the middle point in the league slate

Postmatch Comments

Head Coach Kristen Wright following the match at Liberty today, UNF's fifth five set match of the year. pic.twitter.com/FfNwqkN5aQ
— UNF Volleyball (@OspreyVB) October 16, 2022