DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle volleyball team went up against a nationally-ranked opponent for the second straight match on Friday and the Eagles gave No. 4 Palm Beach Atlantic all it could handle, forcing the Sailfish to go the distance to earn a 3-2 win over ERAU (25-17, 20-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-9). The win improves PBA's season mark to 11-0, 3-0 in SSC play, while the Eagles fall to 7-3, 1-2 in conference.
 
Melanie Canfield and Erika Barbour each notched a team-high 13 kills, with Canfield adding 15 digs for her fourth double-double of the season, while Barbour tallied 12 digs to earn her second double-double of 2018. Alyssa Rudd also recorded a double-double, her team-leading fifth, with a season-high 47 assists and 15 digs. Olivia Roa led all players with 39 digs, which mark her season best and tie her career best.
 
The lead changed hands four times in the opening frame, but the key point in the set was a 9-1 spurt by the Sailfish that turned a 14-13 lead into a commanding 23-14 advantage. PBA would cruise to a 25-17 win from there.
 
In set two, the Eagles used a 6-0 run early on to take a 10-6 lead and never looked back. A 5-0 run in the middle stages increased the lead to 16-8, and although Palm Beach Atlantic worked to get back to within three points (20-17), back-to-back kills from McKenna James and Canfield got the momentum back on the Eagles' side of the court and the Blue and Gold happily traded sideouts for the final six points of the set to earn a 25-20 win.
 
Set three was once again highlighted by runs, this time from both sides. An early 4-0 surge by the Sailfish gave the visitors a 7-5 lead, but the Eagles responded soon thereafter with a 5-0 burst that put the home side back in front, 12-9. PBA retook the lead (17-16) thanks to a 4-0 run, only to see ERAU answer back with a 4-0 spurt of its own to jump back in front, 20-17. Palm Beach Atlantic fought back to within a single point on two occasions, but both times Sam Lanning was there with an important kill to keep Embry-Riddle in front, and it was her termination on the final point of the set that closed out ERAU's 25-23 win.
 
The fourth set saw six lead changes and a total of 15 ties, which illustrates just how nip and tuck it was throughout the frame. The largest lead of the period was three points, held by the Eagles on three occasions, the latest of which was 13-10. PBA went on a quick 4-0 run to take a 14-13 lead, but it wasn't too long before a block by Lanning and Theresa Jordan put the Eagles back in front at 21-20. A Jordan kill made it 22-21 Eagles, but the Sailfish went on to win four of the next five points to rally for a 25-23 win and force a decisive fifth set.
 
Set five was the only frame to not feature any lead changes, and there were only two ties in the period. With the score knotted at 4-4, Palm Beach Atlantic went on a 7-2 tear, running out to an 11-6 lead. ERAU fought back and took the next three points to force the Sailfish to take a timeout clinging to an 11-9 lead, but those would prove to be the final points that the Eagles would win. PBA took the final four rallies and won the set, 15-9, completing the 3-2 victory.
 
The Eagles will wrap up this three-match homestand tomorrow against Nova Southeastern at 4 p.m.