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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics

Huddle_102224_DSC5263
Vinny O'Connor
1
Rollins Roll 11-9,2-7 Sunshine State
3
Winner Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU 12-5,5-3 Sunshine State
Rollins Roll
11-9,2-7 Sunshine State
1
Final
3
Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU
12-5,5-3 Sunshine State
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Rollins Roll 19 15 25 24 (1)
Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU 25 25 20 26 (3)

Game Recap: RV Women's Volleyball | | Kyrin Mayfield | @k_mayfield97

Volleyball Fends Off Tars 3-1

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle volleyball team hung on against Rollins, defeating the Tars 3-1 on Tuesday night. ERAU appeared to be in cruise control, taking the first two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-15. However, Rollins spooked the home team by taking the third set 25-20 and nearly came back to take the fourth set before Hunter Ackermann slammed the door shut with a 26-24 match-clinching kill in just her second game back from an injury.

The all-time series continues to lean heavily in favor of ERAU as the Eagles have now won 13 straight against the Tars and 22 out of a total of 27 meetings. Embry-Riddle is also 11-2 within the ICI Center. 

Four different Eagles recorded a kill to help the Blue and Gold get off to a 7-3 lead in set one. As the set progressed, the scores came in bunches. With a 12-9 lead, Embry-Riddle tallied four unanswered points before Rollins responded with the exact same streak. Now at 18-14, the two squads traded five-point runs to push the score to 23-19 when Isabella Rujano found open space on the court with a spike. A block by Dana Gibbons and Jaden McBride then sealed the fate of the first set, 25-19. 

In set two, Embry-Riddle set the tone at the start and in a massive way. The Blue and Gold claimed the first seven points of the set partly due to five Tar attacking errors. From there on out, the set was in the Eagles' control as ERAU's lead never shrunk below three points. Set two was won with ease, 25-15. Stout defensive play contributed to the 10-point win. Over half of Embry-Riddle's blocks in the match occurred during that set (7) to help the Eagles hold Rollins to a -.057 hit percentage. 

However, the script appeared to flip in set three. For the next two sets, Rollins attacked at a clip of .350. To start, the Tars went out to a 6-2 lead. Embry-Riddle did slowly chip away at the deficit, using a 5-1 spurt to go ahead 15-13. With the Eagles' up 19-18 and their eyes on a sweep, Rollins got to work at the net and blocked three ERAU attacks to aid the visitors in claiming six consecutive points and later the set at 25-20. 

Wanting to quell the threat, Rujano amassed three kills to send her squad on a 5-0 streak and out to a 6-2 lead in the fourth. That lead remained for a majority of the set until Rollins attempted a late-match comeback. Embry-Riddle led 23-18, but three consecutive rejections from Molly Norris and Jadyn Troutman brought the Tars back into the set. McBride came to the rescue with a strong spike to give ERAU an opportunity at match point, but the Tars rattled off three kills in a row to even the score at 24-24.

Rujano proceeded to get a kill for the Blue and Gold as Ackermann subbed in with ERAU ahead 25-24. In just her second game back from an injury, Ackermann was the hero the Eagles needed as she unloaded on a ball to give Embry-Riddle the match-clinching 26th point of the set. 

Rujano finished with 20 kills, reaching that mark for the third time this season. She also earned four blocks and three digs. McBride contributed 13 kills and eight digs. Ashlyn Koerner set a single-match season-best for the program with 34 assists on top of five digs while Lexie Hage followed with 15 assists and seven digs. As a team, the Eagles accumulated 56 assists, which tied for the third-most in a four-set match by a Sunshine State Conference team this season.

Gabriela Pagan racked up a team-high 18 digs, and Gibbons and Haley Manjack were the top blockers on the evening with seven rejections each. 

The homestand continues on Wednesday as the Eagles host Saint Leo at 7 p.m.
The 2024 Embry-Riddle volleyball season is presented by Radiology Associates.
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