DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle volleyball team suffered a tough five-set loss to Sunshine State Conference foe Nova Southeastern (19-11, 12-8) in both teams' regular season finale, Saturday at the ICI Center. The Eagles won the first and third sets but were unable to hold off the Sharks in the remaining frames, capping regular season play at 17-14 overall and 8-12 in the SSC.
Jaden McBride and
Cameron Gilleland each posted double-double performances for the Eagles as McBride finished with 17 kills, 11 digs and two service aces, while Gilleland added 14 kills, 12 digs and four block assists. The Eagles recorded a season-high 17 total blocks, led by
Jenna Bishop who had nine block assists and two solo blocks to go with six kills.
A 10-4 run marked the start of the first set for the Blue and Gold. The Sharks chipped away at the Eagle lead to knot things up at 18-18, but the Eagles rattled off seven unanswered points to close out the first set with a 25-18 win.
The second set saw the Sharks go on a 6-0 run to take a 13-6 lead. The Eagles responded with a 5-0 run of their own to make it a one-point game (16-15), but two kills each by Cambry Pope and Jordan Chessar helped the Sharks pull away for good as they took the set 25-18.
With the score tied at 4-4, the Eagles got kills from
Isabela Adamczyk, Gilleland and McBride to open a 9-4 advantage in set three. The Sharks were able to make it a two-point game (10-8), but the Eagles steadily pulled away once again and ended the third set with a seven-point (25-18) win of their own.
A back-and-forth fourth set featured 15 ties and five lead changes with neither side holding more a two-point advantage. The Eagles lead by two (22-20) late in the frame but a pair of Preslee Brooksbank services aces helped the Sharks overtake the Eagles on the way to a 25-22 win to force a fifth set.
The fifth set was also closely contested. The Sharks led by two (3-1) early, but the Eagles bounced back to go in front with their own two-point (7-5) advantage. Neither team was able to find any separation through much of the set leading to an 11-11 tie. Kate Mihacevich broke the deadlock and registered three kills late to help NSU edge the Eagles 15-12 to win the match.
The Eagles now await the results of the Sunday's NCAA II Volleyball Selection Show to learn whether or not they have earned a spot in the South Region tournament.
The 2022 Embry-Riddle volleyball season is presented by Radiology Associates.
