LAKELAND, Fla. – After winning the first set with relative ease, the Embry-Riddle volleyball team dropped the next three to fall 3-1 (15-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-19) at No. 15 Florida Southern on Tuesday night. With the loss, the Eagles fall to 12-7 on the year, while the Mocs improve to 17-3.

Evelina Abdurakhmanova led all players with 16 kills and picked up nine digs, while Amanda Saunders tallied 10 kills and eight digs. Ashley Humphrey chipped in six kills on eight swings for a .625 hitting percentage and added a team-high three blocks. Tamires Ferreira racked up a match-high 34 assists to go along with 16 digs and Caitlyn Ballard collected a match-best 26 digs.
 
The Blue and Gold overcame an early 7-4 deficit in set one, using a 6-0 run from that point to take the lead, 10-7. After Florida Southern tied the set at 12, the Eagles went on a 13-3 spurt to run away with the frame, 25-15.
 
Set two saw the Mocs take an early 10-5, but unlike set one, FSC didn't relinquish the lead this time. The Eagles never got closer than three for the rest of the stanza, falling by a 25-17 score.
 
Florida Southern continued to ride the wave of momentum in set three, running out to an 11-5 lead. A block from Ana Pajic and Ashley Humphrey pulled the Eagles to within four (12-8), but they couldn't get any closer than that. A 6-1 run for the Mocs pushed the lead to 18-9 and the home team closed out the set on a 7-1 run to win the set, 25-12.
 
The Eagles got off to a better start in set four, taking a slim 5-4 lead in the early stages. A kill by Anna Tovo tied the set at five and sparked an 8-0 run that put FSC ahead, 12-5.  After trading a handful of sideouts, the Blue and Gold responded, rattling off seven straight points to trim the margin to a single point (16-15). The Mocs pulled away late, scoring six of the final seven points to win the set, 25-19.
 
The Eagles return home for the first time since Sept. 26 when they host Eckerd on Friday night. First serve is set for 7 p.m. inside the ICI Center.