ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women's volleyball team earned two more wins on the final day of the Flagler Saints Invitational on Saturday. The Eagles topped Newberry 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-22) to give ERAU head coach
Joslynn Gallop her 350
th career coaching victory and followed with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19) defeat of host Flagler.
The Eagles will take a 4-0 overall record into their next competition which will be at the UNC Pembroke Invitational, Sept. 2-3.
ERAU vs Newberry
Newberry jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first set, but the Eagles responded by winning eight of the next nine points to take an 8-3 advantage. The Wolves managed to cut the lead to two (12-10), but the Eagles surrendered just five more points on the way to a 25-15 win to take set one.
A close second set saw Newberry eventually take an 18-15 lead. Behind the serve of
Devyn Petrowski, the Blue and Gold rattled off four in a row to overtake the Wolves 19-18. After both teams went back and forth leading to a 20-20 tie, ERAU won five of the last six points to win the set 25-21.
The Wolves stepped up their play in the third set, jumping out to an 11-2 lead. The Eagles used a series of 3-0 runs to come within a point (15-14), but Newberry rattled off five in a row to make it a 20-15 game. The Eagles used a pair of service aces by
Kendyl Taylor and a pair of kills by
Jenna Bishop, as well as a Newberry attack error to knot the score at 21-21. The Wolves broke the deadlock to go up 22-21, but four unanswered Eagle points, including a pair of
Cameron Gilleland kills completed the Eagle comeback and helped the Blue and Gold clinch the win 3-0 win.
Bishop paced the Eagles with nine kills and seven blocks. Taylor and
Jaden McBride finished with two services aces each.
ERAU vs. Flagler
The Eagles started the match well and owned a 9-5 first-set lead before the Saints came back to tie it at 12-12. The set remained close until a 3-0 run helped the Eagles widen the gap and win the set 25-20.
A very tightly contested second set saw both teams battle to a 22-22 tie. The Eagles recorded the last three points of the set and their 25-22 win extend their lead in the match to 2-0.
The Eagles took command of the third set early grabbing a 16-8 lead, which prompted a Flagler timeout. The timeout served its purpose as the Saints rattled off seven in a row to make the score 16-15. ERAU built the lead back up to four (21-17), but the Saints were able to battle back once again and went on to win the set 25-23 and force a fourth set.
ERAU put together its best hitting performance of the night in the fourth set, hitting .389 in the frame. The Eagles trailed 6-5 early in the set, but a 4-0 run gave them the lead which they didn't relinquish.
Cameron Gilleland (7) and
Jaden McBride (6) combined for the 13 of the Eagles' 18 kills in the set to lead the Eagles to a 25-19 win.
Gilleland finished the match with a match-high 19 kills and 14 digs, while McBride added 16 kills, 13 digs and four service aces.
The Embry-Riddle volleyball season is presented by Radiology Associates
