DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The No. 6 Embry-Riddle volleyball team split a pair of matches on the first day of the ERAU Labor Day Tournament, earning a 3-0 win (25-15, 25-16, 25-15) over Olivet Nazarene before dropping a 3-1 contest (25-21, 18-25, 17-25, 16-25) to No. 1 Texas at Brownsville.
 
The day's results move the Eagles' record to 2-1 on the season, while ONU fell to 1-4 and UTB improved to 2-0.
 
ERAU 3, ONU 0
 
The afternoon match against Olivet Nazarene saw the Blue and Gold put on a dominant performance, outhitting the Tigers .282 to .024. Jordan Holcomb led all players with 17 kills and hit .419 in addition to picking up six digs and serving five aces.
 
The Eagles got off to a strong start, opening up an 11-4 lead thanks to four service aces from Holcomb. Taylor Martin served seven straight points for Embry-Riddle, including four service aces of her own, helping the Blue and Gold to a commanding 22-9 lead. The Tigers chipped away at the deficit, but the margin was too great to overcome as ERAU won the set, 25-15.
 
A 7-0 run midway through the second set keyed by three Martin kills provided some separation as the Eagles took a 17-8 lead in the set. Holcomb finished the set with back-to-back kills as ERAU won 25-16, taking a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Martin served the first six points of set three, including three more service aces, continuing the trend of strong starts for Embry-Riddle. Back-to-back Holcomb kills moved the score to 13-3 and a block from Holcomb and Morgan Shattuck increased the lead to 20-8. ONU went on a 5-0 run to pull to within nine points (23-14), but the Eagles closed out the match with a kill from Shattuck to secure a 25-15 win and a 3-0 sweep.
 
Martin contributed a match-high seven service aces to go along with seven kills and nine digs, while Hannah Gray paced the defense with a match-high 12 digs. Adriana Vazquez ran the Eagle offense, recording 31 assists in addition to picking up 10 digs.
 
Becky DeRuiter led Olivet Nazarene with seven kills while Melissa Batholomew registered a team-high eight digs. Renee Enz compiled 16 assists to lead the Tigers.
 
UTB 3, ERAU 1
 
Friday night's match was the NAIA Match of the Week, pitting the No. 1 team against the No. 6 team. The Eagles took on the Scorpions in a rematch of last year's NAIA Quarterfinal match that saw UTB end Embry-Riddle's season with a 3-0 sweep on their way to winning the NAIA National Championship.
 
The Blue and Gold stumbled out of the gate, falling behind 12-6 in the early stages of the first set. But a Cailey Washington kill sparked the Eagles to a 17-2 run highlighted by three service aces from Veera Hietala, putting ERAU in front, 23-14. The Scorpions tried to mount a comeback, but fell short as Embry-Riddle took the first set, 25-21.
 
The second set saw the Eagles fall behind early once again, with UTB taking a 13-8 lead. The Blue and Gold closed the gap to as little as three points on six different occasions, but Texas at Brownsville would not allow ERAU to get any closer than that. The Scorpions closed out the set on a 5-1 run, winning 25-18 to even the match at one set apiece.
 
After the Eagles took a slim early lead in the third set (2-0), UTB rallied quickly to take control of the set with a 14-7 advantage. Embry-Riddle went on a 5-2 run late in the set to close the gap to 22-17, but the Scorpions won the final three points of the set to win, 25-17, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The Eagles continued the trend of digging themselves a hole early in sets, committing four errors en route to a 14-6 deficit in the fourth set. A pair of UTB errors pulled the Blue and Gold to within 16-11, but that was as close as Embry-Riddle would get. A Martin service ace brought the Eagles to another five-point deficit at 21-16, prompting UTB Head Coach Todd Lowery to take a timeout. Following the timeout, Texas at Brownsville promptly won the next four points, claiming the fourth set, 25-16, and the match, 3-1.
 
Martin led the Eagles with 13 kills while Shattuck added nine kills and a team-high five blocks (one solo). Emily Jacobson added eight kills while Holcomb chipped in with six kills, 11 digs and three blocks. Gray led the defense with 15 digs while Vazquez racked up 35 assists.
 
Danica Markovic led the Scorpions with a match-high 15 kills in addition to collecting 10 digs. Vanja Joksic led all players with a .923 hitting percentage as she recorded 12 kills on 13 attacks. Paula Barros led UTB with 22 digs, though four of the seven Scorpion players totaled 10+ digs. Katarina Bursac ran the offense, compiling a match-high 45 assists to go along with 10 digs.
 
The Eagles return to the court tomorrow for a pair of matches on the final day of the ERAU Labor Day Tournament. Embry-Riddle will take on Oklahoma Baptist at 2 p.m. before closing out the tournament with a 7 p.m. match against No. 16 Madonna.