JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida volleyball found itself embroiled in its eighth five-set match of the season Friday, getting a double-double from
Savannah Cook while
Mahalia White reached 1,000-career kills, before coming up just short against Jacksonville in the first round of the River City Rumble Nov. 4.
The Ospreys (10-15, 7-6 ASUN) suffered their first loss against the Dolphins (10-15, 4-9 ASUN) since 2017, snapping a 10-match winning streak against their crosstown rivals. White reached 1,010-career kills after posting 15 Friday night, bringing her to 327 during the UNF portion of her career.
North Florida has another crack at JU Sunday at home as the Ospreys sit on the cusp of notching a berth into the ASUN Championship.
UNF 2, JU 3 (24-26, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, 13-15)
Inside the Sets
- Set 1: Mahalia White posted five kills in the first set, hitting .571 to reach 1,000-career kills, all in the first set … despite trailing, 8-0, at the start of the match, White's play helped UNF eventually tie things up, 15-15 … Cook made an aggressive play on offense to notch a dump shot kill and give UNF set point, but JU managed to win three-straight points and the set.
- Set 2: North Florida put together a sparkling set offensively, hitting .361 while holding the Dolphins to 11 kills as the Ospreys stormed to a 25-15 win … Solimar Cestero didn't commit an error, posting six kills
- Set 3: Cestero and Maddie Boyd teamed up for a block to complete a 3-0 run for UNF at the start of the frame, but JU replied to slowly get back in the set, tying things up for the first time at 6-6 … JU's Jenna McNamara posted consecutive kills to give JU a 12-11 lead, an advantage that the Dolphins held the rest of the way.
- Set 4: The seesaw match continued in the fourth … despite posting two-fewer kills than JU, the Ospreys benefited from six Jacksonville service errors to hold back the Dolphins and take the set, 25-23 … tied 23-23, Kailey McKnight posted a kill and JU's Lyric Love had a bad set.
- Set 5: Set five continued on with the theme of the first four stanzas … UNF and JU had eight kills each, but one more UNF attack error and service error proved to make up the two-point difference … UNF fought off two JU match points before the Dolphins got the final tally it needed.
Leaders By the Numbers
UNF
JU
- Jenna McNamara | 19 kills, 11 digs
- Lyric Love | 7 kills, 5 blocks, 3 digs
- Rebecca Rocassin | 51 assists, 11 digs
Notes
- White has paced UNF in kills in 20 of 25 matches this year
- Cook notched her third-career double-double
- UNF played its eighth five-set match and seventh in league play
- North Florida is 5-3 in five-set matches this year
- White eclipsed 1,000-career kills
- North Florida had won 10-straight matches against JU
- Head coach Kristen Wright is 10-1 against JU
- North Florida is seventh in the league with three matches remaining. UNF holds a two-match lead on three teams, with the top eight making the postseason.
Postmatch Comments
Up Next
UNF hosts JU for alumni night Sunday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. in the first match at the CSI Companies Court at the UNF Arena.
