RICHMOND, Ky. - After nearly three hours and almost 400 combined attack attempts, North Florida volleyball (9-16, 5-5 ASUN) came up just points short of going 3-0 on the week in a 3-2 loss at Eastern Kentucky (16-7, 7-3 ASUN) Sunday, Oct. 27.
Amy Burkhardt,
Janelly Ceopa,
Maymie Guthrie and
Annie Antar all notched career highs in what was a statistical outburst for the Ospreys. Burkhardt finished with 26 kills, Ceopa went for career highs in kills and digs, Antar reached 60 assists for the first time in her career and Guthrie became the first Osprey with 30 digs in a match since
Rocio Moro did so last season.
UNF 2, EKU 3 (25-22, 25-22, 28-30, 23-25, 13-15)
- Set 1: North Florida hit .615 while holding EKU to .167 hitting to take a 10-6 lead … Burkhardt posted four kills to help UNF to a 15-12 lead at the media timeout … EKU posted a 6-2 run to force UNF into a timeout as it took its first lead … UNF bounced back with its own 3-0 run, forcing EKU to take a timeout as UNF took a 21-20 lead … Anna Butler tallied consecutive kills to help UNF to the 25-22 win in the first frame.
- Set 2: UNF bounced back from an early 3-0 deficit to tie it up, 7-7 … Guthrie posted an ace to give UNF a 15-14 lead at the media timeout … Ceopa came up with consecutive aces to give UNF a 19-17 lead … Up 20-19, Burkhardt posted two-straight kills to force EKU into a timeout … just like the first set, Butler finished it with a kill for a 25-22 win.
- Set 3: The back-and-forth play continued in the third with things even at eight early on … EKU pulled ahead late, gaining a 20-16 lead to force UNF into a timeout … UNF rattled off a 5-0 scoring run on Ceopa's serve, taking a 21-20 lead … UNF worked around five EKU set points until the Colonels finally pulled ahead, 30-28.
- Set 4: UNF dominated the block and Burkhardt posted two quick kills as UNF took a 7-1 lead to start the fourth …. EKU came back with a 12-7 run, including a 5-0 clip, to tie it up at 13 … UNF went on a 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead and force EKU into a timeout … EKU bounced back on a 7-2 run as it went on to win the fourth.
- Set 5: UNF established a 6-3 lead, but EKU bounced back on a 4-0 run to push UNF into a timeout … the Ospreys benefited from a service error and Yarimar Francis Garay kill to take an 8-7 lead at the changeover … EKU inched ahead to 11-9 lead, but a service error hurt the Colonels again … North Florida won a crucial challenge to turn over a 13-10 deficit and make it 12-11 … EKU gathered the next point and UNF took a timeout before Kierstyn McFall and Anna Butler teamed up on the block … the Colonels would win two of the next three points to finish the match.
Leaders By the Numbers
UNF
EKU
- Emilee Hill | 33 assists, 16 digs
- Josie Schmitendort | 11 assists, 33 digs
- AG Vandagriff | 21 kills
Notes
- Jexsamarie Perez made her first start
- Burkhardt returned to the court after not appearing since the Oct. 13 match against West Georgia
- Antar reached 60 assists for the first time in her career
- Ceopa made it back-to-back double-doubles
- Antar posted her eighth double-double of the season
- EKU had yet to drop two sets in a match at home this year. The Colonels had previously swept FGCU this season
- UNF and EKU met for the sixth time
- The last meeting was a 3-1 win for UNF in the ASUN Quarterfinals last year.
- Burkhardt posted a career high in kills
- Ceopa notched a career high in kills
- Burkhardt posted the most kills by an Osprey since Mahalia White had 28 against JU Nov. 6, 2022
- Guthrie's dig total was the most by an Osprey since Rocio Moro had 31 against FGCU Nov. 10 of last season
- Seven different Ospreys got into the block column
- UNF had three players with double-digit digs for the first time since Sept. 10 against FSU
- UNF had four players with double-digit kills for the first time since Oct. 3, 2023 at FAMU
Up Next
UNF returns to Jacksonville but stays on the road to take on Jacksonville Oct. 30.
