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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics

Manjack_090624_594A0183.png
Cornnell Chu
3
Winner Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU 7-2,0-0 Sunshine State
0
Lee Lee 6-5,0-0 Gulf South
Winner
Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU
7-2,0-0 Sunshine State
3
Final
0
Lee Lee
6-5,0-0 Gulf South
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU 25 25 25 (3)
Lee Lee 23 19 18 (0)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Kyrin Mayfield

Volleyball Douses Flames in Three Sets

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Embry-Riddle's non-conference slate concluded on Saturday at the Lee Invitational with a 3-0 defeat of Lee, the team's sixth sweep of the season in just nine matches. The Eagles used three-consecutive aces from Ashley Lunt to help erase a four-point deficit and take the lead late in set one. That momentum carried the team to a straight-sets win. Embry-Riddle has now won four-straight contests against the Flames dating back to 2016, but it was the Eagles' first-ever true road win over Lee.  

Over the first eight rallies, neither team found any separation as the two teams stayed locked together until 4-4 when Lee scored four straight to push the Eagles behind 8-4. ERAU inched closer by two points at 11-9, but the Flames utilized three Blue and Gold attacking errors to record five unanswered points (16-9). Dana Gibbons used efficient attacking to get Embry-Riddle back in the set with a trio of kills over a 5-1 spurt to make the score 18-15. 

A couple rallies later, Embry-Riddle mounted a comeback beginning with a serving and blocking error by the home team. Lunt produced clutch serves to grab three straight aces, already a single-game career high for the sophomore and the Eagles' only aces of the set, to send ERAU out in front 22-21. Lee controlled the next two points, but two kills by Isabella Rujano and one from Haley Manjack completed the first-set comeback 25-23. 

Set two began just like set one with neither team able to build a lead early on. The Flames jumped ahead 9-6 only for the Eagles to score three straight points, one from another ace by Lunt, to even the score. Eventually, Embry-Riddle retook the lead on back-to-back kills from Jaden McBride and later streaked ahead 17-14 with the help of two blocks from Gibbons. Four consecutive successful kills kickstarted a 4-0 run to vault the Blue and Gold up 21-15. The Eagles never looked back, winning 25-19 on the back of a .406 team hitting percentage in the set.

ERAU's front row completely shut down the Flames' attack in set three, holding them to just seven kills. Though the Blue and Gold trailed 7-6 in the early stages, the Eagles rallied with five straight points with the help of three Lee miscues. The 11-7 lead ballooned to 23-13 as Embry-Riddle soundly won the set 25-18 for the sweep.

McBride led the team in both kills (15) and blocks (4) and was second in digs (7). Rujano also reached double digit kills with 10 to pair with five digs. Gibbons once again notched a season high in kills (8) for the second-straight match thanks to a stout .615 hit percentage. She also tallied four blocks. Ashlyn Koerner was once again the top setter with 20 assists and five digs while Lexie Hage possessed 15 assists and a team-high eight digs. Lunt accumulated a career-best five aces, which tied for the third-most by a Sunshine State Conference student-athlete in a three-set match this season. 

SSC play begins on Friday, Sept. 27 as the Eagles host Florida Tech for International Night at 7 p.m. The Eagles hold a slim 17-16 advantage in the all-time series but have won 11 of 12 since becoming a full NCAA II member in 2017.
The 2024 Embry-Riddle volleyball season is presented by Radiology Associates.
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