ORLANDO, Fla. – Joslynn Gallop earned her 300th career win on Saturday as the Embry-Riddle volleyball team knocked off Montevallo in four sets (23-25, 27-25, 33-31, 25-21) to finish a perfect 3-0 weekend at the South Region Crossover tournament. The victory improves ERAU's season mark to 16-8, while Montevallo drops to 18-5.
 
Erika Barbour led all players with 17 kills while McKenna James added 16 and Sam Lanning chipped in 11. Melanie Canfield (9 kills, 15 digs) and Theresa Jordan (8 kills, 22 digs) narrowly missed double-doubles, while Alyssa Rudd totaled 56 assists and 18 digs. Olivia Roa again anchored the back row with a match-leading 33 digs. Barbour, James, Rudd, and Roa were all named to the All-Tournament Team following the event.
 
The match was a back-and-forth affair most of the afternoon, with the teams trading the lead over 15 times to go along with over 40 tie scores. 17 of those ties took place in the first set, as neither side held a lead larger than two points. A 4-0 run for ERAU put the Eagles ahead 18-16, but the Falcons scored the next two points to draw even once again. The two sides were deadlocked at 19-19, 21-21, and 22-22 before a James kill put Embry-Riddle ahead, 23-22. Montevallo responded by scoring three straight points to give the Falcons a 25-23 come-from-behind win.
 
The Eagles led for a majority of the second frame, holding advantages of 11-7, 20-16, and 23-18. A late 7-1 run by Montevallo turned the tides and put ERAU down 25-24, facing set point and a potential 2-0 deficit in the match. This time it was Embry-Riddle that found a late surge, scoring the final three points of the frame just like the Falcons did one set earlier, with Canfield putting down back-to-back kills to clinch the set, 27-25.
 
Similar to the first set, set three featured 17 tie scores and a host of lead changes. The Blue and Gold seemed to be in control, leading 23-20, but a 3-0 run erased that lead quickly. A Canfield kill gave ERAU set point at 24-23, but the Falcons fought that off and began a long run of extra points. Montevallo had opportunities to win the frame at 25-24, 27-26, 28-27, 29-28, and 30-29. The first three of those potential set points were staved off by Barbour kills, with Lanning scoring a clutch kill to tie it at 29-29 and an attack error tied the set at 30-30. After the Falcons tied it at 31-31, another Montevallo error gave ERAU the chance it needed and James capitalized, putting down a kill to secure the set, 33-31.
 
The fourth set featured the least amount of drama, thanks in large part to a 9-0 run that put the Eagles up 13-7. A 5-0 run later in the frame increased the margin to 22-13, and although the Falcons made it interesting by answering back with a 6-0 surge of their own, getting to within three points at 22-19, Embry-Riddle was able to hang on for a 25-21 win in the end.
 
The Eagles return home next weekend to host Saint Leo on Friday night (Oct. 26) at 7 p.m. and Florida Southern on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 27) at 4 p.m.