DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle volleyball team suffered its second straight defeat on Friday, falling 3-1 (25-21, 25-16, 21-25, 26-24) to visiting Eckerd. The Eagles fell to 13-2 overall, 5-2 in conference, while the Tritons improved to 10-5 and 3-4 in SSC play.
 
Jaden McBride led all players with 13 kills and four service aces, while also picking up nine digs. Melanie Canfield added 11 kills and hit .474 while Amelia Hartnett tallied 10 kills. Tamzen Wilson collected a team-leading 11 digs and Emily Weaver distributed a team-high 30 assists.
 
Eckerd scored five of the first six points of the match, eventually jumping out to an early 10-4 lead. A 4-0 spurt midway through the set pushed the lead to 16-8, but the Blue and Gold fought back, going on a 7-1 run to trim the deficit to just one at 21-20. The Tritons were finally able to stop the momentum with a 3-0 run of their own, and they would go on to take the opening set, 25-21.
 
ERAU got off on the right foot in set two, taking a 4-1 lead early, but it would prove to be short-lived. Eckerd quickly tied it at four and then went on a 6-0 run to pull ahead, 10-5. The lead ballooned as large as 11 points (21-10) as the visitors took the second set, 25-16.
 
Embry-Riddle showed its resiliency in the third set, starting off the frame with a 9-1 lead to wrestle the momentum back to its side. The Tritons tried to claw back in it, getting to within four points at 19-15, but the Blue and Gold maintained a comfortable lead throughout the period, eventually winning it by a score of 25-21.
 
The Eagles scored the first three points of set four, looking like a team that was poised to continue their comeback. Eckerd got back in it with a 4-0 run to tie the set at 12, and a few points later the Tritons took their first lead of the frame, 15-14. Back-to-back errors gave the lead back to ERAU, 16-15, and the two sides traded sideouts for the next six points, putting Embry-Riddle ahead, 19-18. The visitors then scored four straight points, taking their biggest lead of the set at 22-19. A McBride kill and an EC error made it 22-21, but Eckerd scored on the next two rallies to earn three match points at 24-21. A McBride kill staved off the first, and then tough defense from the Eagles led to two Triton errors, knotting things up at 24. A service error broke the momentum, and an attack error gave Eckerd the clinching point at 26-24.
 
The Blue and Gold return to the court tomorrow at 4 p.m. as Saint Leo visits the ICI Center in another important Sunshine State Conference match.