ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle volleyball team picked up a 3-2 win (25-23, 15-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-9) at Eckerd on Saturday afternoon, concluding a perfect September with an 8-0 record. The win also gives ERAU a 4-0 mark in conference play, while the Tritons fall to 9-3, 2-2 in SSC matches. The Eagles are now tied for first place in the conference with Lynn, who also holds a 4-0 record in league play.
Theresa Jordan led all players with 19 kills and added 11 digs and five blocks, while
Kristin vom Schemm tallied 16 kills seven digs.
Alyssa Rudd had a match-high 46 assists and
Olivia Roa picked up a match-best 14 digs.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair, featuring 12 ties and four lead changes. The Eagles trailed for a majority of the set but rallied late, ending the frame on a 6-2 run that turned a 21-19 deficit into a 25-23 win, sealed by a solo block from Rudd to close out the set.
In set two, Eckerd took an early 6-2 lead and quickly built it up to a 16-7 advantage en route to a 25-15 win.
Set three saw neither side hold a lead larger than four points until the very end, when the Eagles got hot and rattled off six consecutive points to end the frame, including back-to-back service aces from Roa to finish off the 25-16 win, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Blue and Gold never led in the fourth set, though a 4-1 run early on allowed them to draw even with the Tritons at 7-7. Eckerd scored the next four points and never looked back, finishing the frame by winning 10 of the last 14 rallies to comfortable win the set, 25-16, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.
Embry-Riddle got a couple big blocks from
Melanie Canfield in the early stages of the fifth, jumping out to a 4-2 lead. The Tritons were within a point at 6-5 when a service error gave ERAU a point, which sparked a 7-2 run, including a kill, ace, and block from vom Schemm, which put the set out of reach at 13-7. Eckerd scored two points but gave ERAU match point with another service error, and Jordan's 19th kill brought the set to an end at 15-9, securing the 3-2 win.
The Eagles return home next weekend to host Palm Beach Atlantic and Barry, with PBA visiting the ICI Center on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m., and the Buccaneers coming to town on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 4 p.m.
