NASHVILLE, Tenn. - North Florida volleyball opened its weekend at Lipscomb with a unique lineup, getting an all-out effort across the roster despite suffering a road-trip opening loss to the Bisons, 3-0, in the latest iteration of 31-match series history Friday, Sept. 30.
Shorthanded, the Ospreys still sent 11 different student-athletes to the court, getting a 23-dig and eight-assist outing from
Rocio Moro, but the Bisons got a balanced offensive effort to defend their home court.
UNF 0, LIP 3 (21-25, 17-25, 17-25)
Inside the Sets
- Set 1: UNF (3-11, 1-2 ASUN) never took the lead in the first but put up an efficient set offensively, committing only two attack errors while hitting .273 … Lipscomb (6-8, 3-0 ASUN) was strong on the service line, posting four aces, although the Ospreys forced the Bisons into seven attack errors as UNF stood tall throughout the first frame … LU took a 3-0 lead and increased it to 6-1 after a service error was challenged and reversed back to a service ace in favor of the Bisons … the Ospreys defense put together a staunch effort, helping UNF go on a 4-0 run to tie things up, 13-13 … a Solimar Cestero and Kierstyn McFall block tied things at 15-15 once more, although a key 3-0 run by Lipscomb late helped the Bisons create some space and hang on.
- Set 2: The second session was tight early … a Kailey McKnight kill evened things, 4-4, but Lipscomb quickly created separation that it held the rest of the way … a 5-1 run provided Lipscomb a 9-5 lead, with an additional four kills and two aces for the hosts providing the difference in the second … Mahalia White, McKnight and Amy Burkhardt all had four kills through two frames, while Moro reached 18 digs through just two sessions.
- Set 3: UNF started the third set with a creative alignment to its lineup, with Moro and Maymie Guthrie in their respective new positions for the first time as Ospreys … Lipscomb established a lead with a run out of the gates in the third frame … North Florida generated some success on the block and with the serve to get within striking distance … after a pair of aces, one from Maddie Boyd and the other from White, UNF cut its deficit to 15-13 at the media timeout … the Bisons saved one of its best runs for late to take the session.
Leaders By the Numbers
UNF
LIP
- Meg Mersman | 11 kills, .450 hitting
- Sophia Hudepohl | 36 assists, 8 digs
- Delaney Smith | 21 digs
Notes
- Cook earned her first-career start.
- Guthrie made an appearance back in her home state.
- This was UNF's first match against Lipscomb in Nashville since Oct. 20, 2019.
- UNF and Lipscomb met for the 31st time. The last four meetings have been split between Jacksonville, Fla., Fort Myers, Fla. and Kennesaw, Ga.
- White paced the Ospreys in kills for the 14th time on the season.
- Three Ospreys had at least eight assists, with Guthrie leading the way with a career-best nine assists.
- Moro was one assist short of her career high of nine helpers. The libero assumed the setting role in the final frame as Guthrie took over at libero.
- Moro is only 80 digs shy of the all-time digs record at UNF.
- McKnight is just one kill short of 300 for her UNF tenure.
- It was Moro's third 20-dig effort in four matches.
- UNF has led the match in blocks for six-straight matches.
Up Next
UNF stays in-state and makes the bus trip to Clarksville, Tenn., to take on Austin Peay tomorrow night at 6 p.m. EST.
