DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle volleyball team bounced back after losing sets three and four on Friday night to win the fifth and final set over Saint Leo in convincing fashion, 15-3. The Blue and Gold won the match over the visiting Lions 3-2 (25-22, 25-14, 19-25, 27-29, 15-3) to improve to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in conference play, maintaining sole possession of first place in the conference. Saint Leo fell to 11-5, 5-3 in SSC play.
Kristin vom Schemm and
Jordan Schumacher led the way with 17 kills apiece, while Schumacher picked up a season-high 18 digs to notch her third double-double of the season.
Melanie Canfield added 16 kills and hit .552 in the match to go along with a team-high four blocks.
Alyssa Rudd tallied a double-double with a match-high 57 assists and 12 digs, both of which were also season highs, while
Olivia Roa led all players with 33 digs.
ERAU jumped out to an 8-5 lead in the first set before a 5-1 run gave Saint Leo a 10-9 advantage. After the Lions went on a 4-0 spurt to increase the margin to 16-12, an Eagle timeout led to a 6-1 run that pushed the home side back in front, 18-17. SLU kept it close, but the Blue and Gold maintained a slim lead and closed out the set on a 5-2 run to win the opening frame, 25-22.
In the second set, the Eagles ran out to a 9-3 lead and never looked back. A 5-0 run that included three vom Schemm kills increased the lead to 18-8, and ERAU cruised from there to a 25-14 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set saw Saint Leo lead every point, as the visitors took an early 5-2 lead and maintained it for the entire frame. The Eagles got within a point at 9-8, but an 8-2 run built the lead up to 17-10, and the Lions took the set by a 25-19 score.
Set four was by far the most competitive of the night, featuring 15 ties and seven lead changes. Embry-Riddle held a 15-11 lead before SLU rattled off five straight points to reclaim the lead, 16-15. ERAU immediately responded with a 5-1 run, pulling back in front, 20-17. The Lions then scored three quick points to knot things up at 20, but the Eagles answered back with a 3-1 run to take a 23-21 lead. Saint Leo countered with two points to tie the set, and after a Canfield kill gave ERAU its first match point, the Lions got two more in a row to grab a 25-24 lead. After a Saint Leo attack error tied the set at 25, the Lions got another kill to earn a second set point. This time it was
Amelia Hartnett who kept ERAU alive, and after a ball-handling error on the following rally, the Eagles had regained the lead, 27-26, and had a second match point. Once again, Saint Leo stayed alive, and this time the visitors were able to secure the next two points as well, ending the frame on a 3-0 run to take the set, 29-27, sending the match to a fifth frame.
Although the Eagles had dropped two straight sets, including a tough fourth set, they did not waste any time taking back all the momentum that Saint Leo may have had. Schumacher put down a kill on the first pass, and that set the tone, as ERAU scored the first four points of the set, including a pair of Roa service aces. SLU broke the string with a kill, but the Blue and Gold then rattled off five consecutive points to push the lead to a commanding 9-1. The Lions won two of the next three points, but that would prove to be the end of their scoring for the evening, as Embry-Riddle closed out the set with another 5-0 run to clinch the set, 15-3.
The Eagles return to the court to wrap up this four-match homestand tomorrow afternoon as they play host to the defending NCAA II National Champions, the Tampa Spartans. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m.
