PEMBROKE, N.C. – The Embry-Riddle women's volleyball team split two matches on the first day of the UNC Pembroke Invitational hosted by the University of North Carolina at Pembroke on Friday. The Eagles fell in three sets to Wingate (RV), 3-0 but rebounded for a 3-1 defeat of Lenoir-Rhyne.
Now 5-1 on the year, the Eagles are back in action on Saturday, taking on East Stroudsburg at 8 a.m. and UNC Pembroke at noon.
ERAU vs. Wingate
Wingate took control of the match early jumping out to a 5-1 advantage to start the first set. The Eagles cut the lead to two, but the Bulldogs used a 10-3 run to widen the gap to 10 points. Trailing 24-13, the Eagles went on a run of their own to stave off six set points, but the Bulldogs eventually got the point they needed to take the set 25-19.
The second set was almost identical to the first with Wingate taking an early lead and finishing with another 25-19 win.
The Blue & Gold tallied the first point of a very tight third frame. The Eagles built a 19-16 advantage and, after Wingate took over the lead at 21-19, the Eagles fought back to tie things up at 21-21. But the last four points of the set went to the Bulldogs giving them the victory.
ERAU vs Lenoir-Rhyne
The Eagles bounced back from the early morning setback to top Lenoir-Rhyne 3-1 (25-21, 25-27, 25-19, 25-20) in their final contest of the day.
Jaden McBride led the way for the Eagles with 14 kills and 22 digs, while
Jenna Bishop had a match-high eight blocks to go with eight kills.
A 6-1 run helped ERAU move ahead early in the first frame, and they maintained the advantage throughout, winning the set 25-21.
The second set was a barnburner that required extra points to decide the outcome. The Eagles' 13-10 lead was the biggest advantage for either team as both sides traded points until the final two scores of the set when LRU tallied two in a row to win the set 27-25.
In the third set the Eagles hit .306 to top the Bears 25-19. The Bears led 15-12, but a 6-0 run by the Blue and Gold erased the deficit and the Eagles maintained lead they claimed as a result to win the set.
The fourth set started much like the third with LRU leading early, but once again the Eagles had an answer. Riding the serve of
Gabriela Pagan, the Eagles rattled off eight straight points to go up by four (16-12) and scored the last four points of the set to win 25-20 and clinch the overall victory.
The Embry-Riddle volleyballi season is presented by Radiology Associates.
