DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Embry-Riddle captured a straight-sets victory over Eckerd at the ICI Center on Saturday, winning by set scores of 25-20, 25-20 and 26-24. While the final score finished in favor of the Eagles (12-5, 5-3 SSC), Embry-Riddle was challenged by the Tritons (12-8, 4-5 SSC) in a tough match that saw 16 ties and seven total lead changes.
The first two sets featured Embry-Riddle scoring stretches that turned deficits into leads. After trailing 3-4 in the opening set, the Blue and Gold moved in front 8-5, and the second set required multiple responses: ERAU came back from 3-6 to lead 8-7, then later went from a 13-15 deficit to an 18-16 advantage. In the third set, the Eagles converted set point at 26-24 to finish the closing stretch.
ERAU finished with 54 kills and a .360 hitting percentage, compared with 37 kills and a .326 mark for Eckerd. The Eagles' .360 hitting percentage marked the fifth time this season that ERAU has hit .350 or better. ERAU also held an 8-5 edge in service aces, surpassing its season average of 5.25 aces, and had 40 digs to Eckerd's 38, while Eckerd recorded 11 total blocks to the Eagles' two.
Maddey Cruse recorded a season-high 10 digs.
Dakota Zieman finished with 16 kills, three aces, seven digs and 19.0 points, and
Ashlyn Koerner directed the attack with 45 assists while adding eight digs.
To open, Eckerd took an early edge, but ERAU moved in front after turning a 4-3 deficit into an 8-5 lead behind
Ashley Lunt's service ace and kills by
Haley Manjack. Earlier in that response,
Lindsay Smith and
Stella Weisbrod put away kills from Koerner to help the Eagles settle into the set after Eckerd's first two points. Zieman added multiple kills as Embry-Riddle built a 13-7 advantage, but Eckerd worked back within 16-15 before Weisbrod answered with a kill. After Eckerd made it 17-16, Manjack and Zieman delivered kills and Manjack served an ace to push ERAU ahead 20-16, and late kills from Zieman, Smith and Weisbrod helped finish a 25-20 set win. The Eagles highlighted the opening set with a .500 hitting percentage.
In the second set, the Eagles recovered from multiple deficits and closed with another 25-20 win. After falling behind 6-3, the Blue and Gold worked back with kills from Weisbrod and Smith before Lunt served consecutive aces to put ERAU ahead 8-7. Later, down 15-13, Weisbrod delivered back-to-back kills, Smith added another, and Embry-Riddle moved in front 18-16 on a Manjack kill. The Eagles created late separation from 19-17 to 22-17 with a Weisbrod kill, two Eckerd errors and a Manjack kill, then finished the set on kills from Zieman and Smith.
Embry-Riddle closed the third set by answering Eckerd's tie at 24-24 with a Smith kill from Koerner and a Zieman service ace for a 26-24 finish. Earlier, the Eagles built advantages behind repeated connections from Koerner to Smith, Weisbrod, Manjack and Zieman, with Zieman adding a run of kills that helped push ERAU ahead 17-11. Eckerd scored six straight points to tie the set at 17-17, but Manjack stopped the stretch with a kill and Zieman added four more kills as the Blue and Gold moved to set point at 24-19. After Eckerd fought back to tie it again at 24-24, ERAU converted the final two points to take the set, 26-24.
Inside the Statistics
- Three Eagles posted double-digit kills as Zieman led the way with 16 kills on .333 hitting, marking the seventh time this season with 15 or more kills.
- Smith tallied 14 kills on .500 hitting for 14.5 points, the second-straight match hitting at least .500.
- Weisbrod followed with 13 kills on .400 hitting, a season-high.
- Koerner directed the ERAU offense with 45 assists, adding eight digs and one ace.
- Defensively, Cruse posted 10 digs to lead the Eagles.
Up Next
Embry-Riddle hosts Rollins on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. ET at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.
