DELAND, Fla. - After three hours and six minutes, 28 tie scores, 14 lead changes and nearly 400 combined attack attempts, North Florida volleyball (6-8, 0-1 ASUN) was clipped in a heartbreaker at Stetson (6-7, 1-0 ASUN), 3-2, Friday, Sept. 22 in the league opener.
The Ospreys had multiple highlight performances despite the loss, with five Ospreys posting double-digit dig nights and three going for double-doubles.
Kailey McKnight and
Kierstyn McFall had 18 kills respectively,
Rocio Moro was spectacular with 32 digs and the setter duo of
Kelly Negron and
Annie Antar both tallied double-doubles.
Janelly Ceopa also made her first start, posting seven kills to go with 12 digs.
Stetson 3, UNF 2 (18-25, 22-25, 18-25, 22-25, 15-13)
Inside the Sets
- Set 1: Kailey McKnight posted three kills and Annie Antar went for a kill and a block to give UNF an early 7-4 lead … the UNF middles helped UNF take a 15-13 lead into the media timeout as the Ospreys held a two-point margin for much of the early points … Kailey McKnight started things out of the media timeout with consecutive aces … Stetson would get within one, but again the North Florida middles posted timely kills … a 4-0 run provided North Florida a UNF 22-17 lead, forcing a Stetson timeout … North Florida closed the set hitting .452, winning 25-18.
- Set 2: Stetson found some breathing room in the middle portion of the second set, taking a 14-10 lead to force a UNF timeout … Antar came through with a timely kill, stopping the bleeding … North Florida won consecutive challenges, including one that brought the deficit to 14-12 … Stetson got to 20 first, but UNF replied to get back within one … the next challenge went to Stetson as the Hatters held on to a challenge-riddled frame.
- Set 3: UNF set the tone, going up early with a 4-0 lead … Stetson turned that around and tied it shortly after before a Hatter service error brought it back to 5-4 UNF … Stetson ran into an offensive standstill, hitting nearly -.100 through the middle portions of the set, creating a 17-10 UNF lead … Stetson created a little traction, but Kailey McKnight swung for a kill off the block to get UNF up to a 20-15 lead … UNF's defense held the Hatters to -.031 hitting for the third set, giving UNF a commanding third-set victory.
- Set 4: North Florida took a 9-6 lead that Stetson eventually tied, 9-9 … McKnight and Kierstyn McFall came back with consecutive kills … Maddie Boyd gave the Ospreys a 15-14 lead at the media timeout with her 10th kill of the night … UNF used a 3-0 run to take an 18-15 lead and force Stetson into a timeout … the UNF lead grew to 23-18, bringing Stetson to a timeout … the Hatters got within two, forcing the Ospreys to take their own intermission … Stetson caught fire and was lifted by setter Nyah Molina's two dump shot kills … the Hatters went on a 9-3 run and won the fourth.
- Set 5: Stetson went up early, taking a 5-1 lead … McFall finished a clean sideout and UNF got within 7-4, pushing Stetson to a timeout … Stetson burned its second timeout after a thunderous block by Boyd and McKnight, making it 9-8 Hatters as UNF put up a 7-3 run … Antar's dump shot kill tied it up, 9-9 … back-to-back Boyd blocks gave UNF an 11-9 lead, its first lead of the fifth … Stetson evened it up, 11-11, and took a 12-11 lead with an ace … UNF took a 13-12 lead after a Stetson error before getting match point, 14-13 … the Hatters withstood a match-point challenge to take the match.
Leaders By the Numbers
Stetson
- Amaris Carter | 14 kills, 15 digs
- Lauren Vargo | 17 digs
- Nyah Molina | 33 assists, 12 digs, 5 kills
UNF
Notes
- This was the 41st meeting all-time between Stetson and UNF
- Janelly Ceopa made her first-career start
- It was the first three-plus hour match in at least the Kristen Wright era
- North Florida and Stetson have played six five-set matches since 2017
- The match saw 28 tie scores and 14 lead changes
- The fourth set alone saw 14 tie scores
- McFall tied a career high in kills with 18
- Moro reached at least 32 digs for the sixth time in her career
- Antar is just 14 assists shy of 1,000 for her career
- UNF had three double-doubles, two of which came from setters Kelly Negron and Annie Antar
- North Florida had five players with double-digit dig evenings
Up Next
UNF continues its ASUN-weekend road swing in Florida when the Ospreys take on FGCU at 6 p.m. tomorrow night in Fort Myers.
