Volleyball Notches Fifth-Straight Win In Five-Set Thriller Over Stetson
11/14/2025 10:00:00 PM | Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida volleyball was resilient and battled back to earn a thrilling five-set come-from-behind victory over Stetson, 3-2, on Friday evening.
North Florida earned a berth in the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament with the win against Stetson. The victory also marked a five-match win streak for UNF.
Graduate outside hitter Kailey McKnight led the way for the Ospreys with her third 20-plus kill performance of 2025. Senior middle blocker Kierstyn McFall and Yarimar Francis Garay also posted double-digit kills with 14 and 13, respectively.
UNF 3, STET 2 (22-25, 25-10, 20-25, 25-13, 15-10)
Set 1: Back-to-back kills from Yarimar Francis Garay gave the Ospreys a one-point lead after set one was knotted at 10 apiece. McFall's third kill of set one extended North Florida's advantage 14-12. A 6-1 run by Stetson in the latter stages helped the Hatters earn the win.
Set 2: McKnight built momentum early in set two with an ace to put North Florida ahead 2-1. A massive block assist from McKnight and McFall allowed UNF to command a 9-4 lead. McKnight's eighth kill of the night extended UNF's edge to 18-8. North Florida closed out its dominant set-two performance with a 5-0 surge fueled by senior opposite Mackenzie Piester, freshman opposite Kendall Newbold, Francis Garay and McKnight.
Set 3: Stetson responded with 13 kills, three aces, three blocks and .273 hitting to take the victory.
Set 4: North Florida showed no signs of quit, as Piester and McFall combined for a block that put UNF ahead 4-3. Dawson notched a skip-set kill amid the set, extending the Ospreys' advantage to 12-5. McKnight, McFall and Francis Garay all reached double-digit kills in the match during set four en route to the win.
Set 5: Trailing 2-1 early, McKnight put down a clutch kill to tie set five. Piester and Mcfall were sensational down the stretch with two kills each over the final 10 points, helping North Florida earn its fifth-straight win.Â
UNF
Kailey McKnight | 20 kills
Sofia Dawson | 41 assists
Kailey McKnight | 3 aces
Sofia Dawson | 21 assists
Yarimar Francis Garay | 6 blocks
STET
Zuzanna Bury | 13 kills
Nyah Molina | 33 assists
Zuzanna Bury | 21 digs
NOTES
- Dawson posted a career-high with 24 digs.
- McFall (.520), Francis Garay (.417) and McKnight (.348) tallied .300 hitting or better.
- North Florida notched 74 kills to Stetson's 47.
- The Ospreys registered eight team aces.
- As a team, UNF recorded .283 hitting.
UP NEXT
North Florida will play its senior night match against Florida Gulf Coast in its final contest of the 2025 regular season on Friday, Nov. 7. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at UNF Arena.
