SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - North Florida volleyball displayed a pair of strong performances in its double-header, earning a dominant 3-0 sweep over Prairie View A&M on Friday afternoon before dropping its second match to UTSA, 3-1, at the Roadrunner Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

UNF 3, PVAM 0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-15)

Set 1: Senior outside hitter Kailey McKnight sparked North Florida's offense early on with a pair of kills and an ace to help the Ospreys command an 8-7 lead. North Florida used a 5-1 run fueled by a kill from Dawson to extend its lead to 13-10. Newbold tallied three kills over UNF's final six points of set one to earn the 25-20 victory.
Set 2: North Florida surged back from a 7-3 deficit, using three kills from Doctor and two from senior opposite Mackenzie Piester to help knot the score at 12 apiece. The Ospreys took a 19-17 advantage following back-to-back kills by McKnight. Piester was clutch down the stretch, tallying three of her seven kills in the match during the final six points that North Florida scored in set two.
Set 3: North Florida surged to a 5-0 run to open the set that featured kills from Bowman and Doctor as well as back-to-back aces by Dawson. The Ospreys' advantage grew to 16-8 amid the set, largely behind a 7-2 run powered by an ace from senior middle blocker Kierstyn McFall and a kill from Piester. North Florida led 22-15 and took the final three points of the set, bringing the match to its final margin.

LEADERS BY THE NUMBERS
UNF
Kendall Newbold | 12 kills
Sofia Dawson | 20 assists
Sofia Dawson | 10 digs


PVAM
Kylee Owens | 11 kills
MaKinzie Taplin | 11 assists
MaKinzie Taplin | 10 digs


NOTES
McKnight made her first start of the season for North Florida and posted seven kills.
Dawson notched a double-double with 20 assists and 10 digs.
North Florida posted 44 kills to Prairie View A&M's 22.
Newbold and Doctor each tallied double-digit kills with 12 and 10, respectively.
Doctor registered .471 hitting.
It was Dawson's 10th time leading North Florida in assists this season through 11 matches.
The Ospreys nearly hit .300 as a team with 296 hitting.
 


UNF 1, UTSA 3 (25-20, 16-25, 14-25, 18-25)

Set 1: North Florida came out firing with two kills apiece from graduate outside hitter Kailey McKnight and junior middle blocker Yarimar Francis Garay to help the Ospreys knot the score at seven early in the set. A 5-0 run capped off by an ace from junior libero Emma Pohlmann extended North Florida's advantage to 17-12. Francis Garay sealed the victory for the Ospreys with a huge kill on set-point.
Set 2: A big-time block assist from McKnight and senior middle blocker Kierstyn McFall tied the score at four early on. Two kills in a four-point stretch from McFall kept North Florida afloat amid the set, despite narrowly trailing 17-12. UTSA ended the set on a 8-4 run to earn the win.
Set 3: North Florida showed tremendous fight, coming back from a 6-2 deficit to command a 10-8 advantage amid the set. It was an 8-2 run for the Ospreys that featured two kills from Newbold and an ace by Dawson. However, UTSA built momentum down the stretch of the set to take the victory.
Set 4: McFall tallied a kill that gave the Ospreys a 5-3 edge early in the set. North Florida refused to go down easily amid the set, tying the score at 11 behind a kill from Fransic Garay. Though, UTSA tallied four of the final six points of the set, bringing the score to its final margin.

LEADERS BY THE NUMBERS
UNF
Kailey McKnight | 10 kills
Kacey Kazmierski | 17 assists
Maymie Guthrie | 9 digs
Kailey McKnight | 9 digs


UTSA
Ally Tribe | 14 kills
Megan Hawkins | 25 assists
Ally Tribe | 17 digs

NOTES
McKnight posted season-highs with 10 kills and nine digs.
Sophomore setter Kacey Kazmierski led the team in assists for the second time this season.
McKnight led the team in kills for the first time this season.
 
UP NEXT
North Florida will battle UT Arlington in its third and final match at the Roadrunner Classic on Saturday, Sept. 19. First serve is set for 12 p.m. at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.