MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle volleyball team led two sets to one before the host Barry Buccaneers came back to win sets four and five, handing ERAU a 3-2 defeat (18-25, 25-22, 16-25, 25-17, 15-12). The Eagles now stand at 10-5 on the year while Barry moves to 6-5.
 
Ana Pajic led all players with 19 kills while Evelina Abdurakhmanova tallied 17 kills and six digs. Sumerr Paxton collected a match-high 28 digs and Tamires Ferreira totaled 44 assists and 12 digs.
 
After taking an early 3-1 lead, the Eagles fell behind by a score of 7-4 in set one. Just a few points later the Blue and Gold went on a 5-0 run to retake the lead, 10-8. Though the Buccaneers fought back to tie the score at 11, 12 and 15, ERAU never let Barry back out in front for the rest of the frame. A termination from Pajic with the score tied at 15 sparked a 6-0 spurt that pushed the Eagles to a 21-15 lead. A few minutes later, Pajic put down another kill to close out the set at 25-18.
 
Barry got off to the better start in set two, allowing ERAU just a brief 3-2 lead before moving back in front, 11-7. A Paxton service ace closed the margin to a single point (15-14), but the Eagles couldn't quite pull even and the Bucs eventually won the set by a 25-22 score to tie the match at a set apiece.
 
An early 5-0 run for the Blue and Gold that gave the Eagles a 9-6 lead set the tone for set four. ERAU would go on another 5-0 run midway through the frame to build the lead up to 16-9 and the Eagles cruised to a 25-16 set win.
 
BU scored nine of the first 11 points in set four and never looked back, maintaining a comfortable lead throughout the stanza en route to a 25-16 victory that pushed the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
The Bucs opened up set five on a 4-0 run, including a pair of service aces from Jenny Trinidad. Embry-Riddle responded with six consecutive points to take the lead, forcing a Buccaneer timeout. Out of the timeout, Barry scored the next two points to tie the set, and from that point it was a tightly-contested affair. Amanda Saunders delivered a service ace to give ERAU a 12-10 lead, but that would prove to be the last point of the match for Embry-Riddle. Barry scored the final five points to win the set, 15-12, and the match, 3-2.
 
The Eagles will travel to Carrollton, Georgia next weekend to take part in the Gulf South Conference/Sunshine State Conference Crossover Tournament, which will be hosted by West Georgia. Embry-Riddle will play three matches against GSC opponents in the tournament. The full schedule for the tournament, including ERAU's opponents, will be officially announced later today or early tomorrow.