ORLANDO - Despite 19-kills and a .567 hitting percentage from
Mahalia White, North Florida volleyball (1-4) couldn't slow down an efficient Syracuse (3-3) team as the Ospreys closed their weekend in Orlando with a 3-0 loss to the Orange. It was UNF's fourth match against a Power Five foe in five contests to open the year and the second time UNF has gone against an ACC team on the year.
North Florida played 13 different student-athletes in the three-set match.
Jenna Zimmermann neared her second double-double of the weekend and
Rocio Moro posted a 14-dig and five-assist game.
UNF 0, Syracuse 3 (25-27, 17-25, 22-25)
Inside the Sets
- Set 1: For the second time this weekend, UNF's first set went past the 25-point threshold as it saw 11 tie scores and two lead changes … UNF trailed 3-0 out of the opening serve but a 4-0 run gave UNF a 13-9 lead, its first of the frame … North Florida led by as much as five … SU regained the lead at 20-19, its first since holding a 9-8 advantage … out of a timeout, Solimar Cestero and Maddie Boyd provided kills to tie the game, 21-21 … after evading two set points, Syracuse eventually won the frame on a UNF attack error.
- Set 2: Syracuse created an early lead and didn't let go of it as the Orange went up 2-0.
- Set 3: Despite a furious seven-kill set by White and a late push, the Orange hung on … UNF trailed, 24-20, but kills from Kailey McKnight and White and an ace from McKnight brought UNF back to life … a tremendous pancake dig by Moro kept the final point alive, but a backrow attack caused Syracuse to win the point and match.
Leaders By the Numbers
UNF
Syracuse
- Viktori Lokhmanchuk | 14 kills, 4 digs, 1 block
- Naomi Franco | 13 kills, 4 blocks
- Polina Shemanova | 9 ills, 8 digs, 3 aces
- Lauren Woodford | 19 assists, 3 digs
Postgame Comments
Notes
- It was the first match against Syracuse in program history
- White posted her second-nine kill set of the year after doing so against No. 15 Florida in the season opener
- UNF has faced ACC foes in Virginia and Syracuse on the season
- UNF has faced Syracuse, Kansas State, Florida and Virginia this season, with the lone non-Power Five match coming against ETSU
- White has reached double-digit kills in all five matches this season
- Moro reached 1,700-career digs for her career after the match
- UNF played 13 of its 15 active student-athletes in the match
- Four of the six sets played this weekend were decided by three points or less
Up Next
UNF picks back up against Troy in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m.
