WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Northwood University played amazing defense digging up 94 balls paced by Ashley McDannold and Danielle Senople with 24 apiece to defeat Embry-Riddle 3-2 (19-30, 32-30, 30-28, 29-31, 15-6) in Florida Sun Conference action Friday night.

The Seahawks improve to 9-17 overall and even their FSC mark at 5-5. The Eagles, meanwhile, fall to 14-13 on the year with an 8-2 mark in league action.

The match was played at the new Countess de Hoernle Student Life Center which marked the first time the Eagles have played Northwood on their campus.

Embry-Riddle defeated Northwood in three games (30-19, 30-19, 24-30) earlier in the year in a non-conference match at the Palm Beach Atlantic University Bash at the Beach tournament on Sept. 22nd. Tonight looked like it would be a similar match as the Eagles opened a 25-10 lead in the first game and went on to win 30-19, however that was the only thing similar.

Northwood displayed tremendous heart battling back to take the second game 32-30 primarily by getting to every Eagle attack and sacrificing their bodies to dig the ball up. This confidence carried over to the third game as the Seahawks built a 2-1 lead in the match with a 30-28 victory.

NU nearly closed out the match in the fourth, but ERAU battled back to force a final game with a 31-29 decision. It was all Northwood in the fifth going ahead 7-3 early and pushed it to 13-4. They went on to win 15-6 and Karlene Diaz put the game away with one of her match-high 20 kills.

Diaz was one of two players to reach double figures in kills for Northwood as sophomore setter Danielle Senopole chipped in 12. Junior setter Alyssa Breviario dished out a season-high 42 assists.

The Northwood defense didn't stop with McDannold and Senople, Amber Nall added 13 digs, while Breviario and Stephanie Garcia finished with 12 apiece.

For ERAU, junior middle blocker April Ebanks led the squad with 15 kills, while senior middle blocker Mia Jaramillo and freshman outside hitter Savannah Trakes had 12 apiece and sophomore outside hitter Jenni Nelson added 11.

Sophomore setter Marissa Gonzales handed out a team-high 40 assists. On the defensive end for ERAU, junior defensive specialist Rachel Ridder posted 23 digs, while Nelson chipped in 18 and Trakes added 14.

The Seahawks return to the court tomorrow as they host Edward Waters at the SLC at 2 p.m. The Eagles are in action Saturday in a noon contest at Florida Memorial.