FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Embry-Riddle volleyball bounced back with a 3-1 defeat of Nova Southeastern on Saturday at Rick Case Arena, rallying with set scores of 22-25, 25-20, 26-24 and 25-10. The Eagles (15-9, 8-7 SSC) used a 10-0 run in the fourth set to separate from the Sharks (11-15, 4-11 SSC) in the final set.
ERAU produced several multi-point stretches, beginning with an opening-set push that cut a five-point deficit to 22-20 and overlapped with four straight service points to get even at 22-22. The same theme carried into the next set, when the Eagles turned a 2-1 deficit into a 6-3 lead and later used a 6-0 run, including five straight service points, to move from an 8-7 edge to 14-7. Set three brought two more moves from behind, as Embry-Riddle took a 9-7 lead after trailing by two and later moved in front 19-18 after trailing by four. With that set still tight, the Blue and Gold closed with a four-point burst from down 23-22 to 26-24, with set point coming on a Nova Southeastern error. In the final set, ERAU stretched a 4-2 lead to 14-2 with a 10-0 run that included nine straight service points.
The Eagles finished with 65 kills and hit .314, while Nova Southeastern had 50 kills and hit .214. ERAU also held advantages in digs, 82-65, assists, 62-42, and service aces, 6-4. The Eagles have totaled at least nine blocks in two consecutive matches and have recorded at least six service aces in two consecutive matches.
Dakota Zieman finished with 21 kills, 20 digs, two aces and 23.0 points, while
Ashlyn Koerner had 56 assists and 15 digs.
ERAU erased a 22-18 deficit in the first set behind Zieman's serve, getting a
Lindsay Smith kill and three consecutive
Stella Weisbrod kills to draw even at 22-22. Earlier, Koerner,
Kailey Hrbek, Weisbrod and Smith supplied kills as the Eagles recovered from a 2-0 start and moved in front 6-5. Zieman kept Embry-Riddle in a tight middle stretch with kills that tied the set at 9-9 and 10-10 and then gave the visitors an 11-10 lead, but the Sharks later pushed ahead 21-16 and 22-17. After the Eagles' late response tied the set, the Sharks took the final three points to finish the set 25-22.
The Eagles created separation in the second set with six straight points, using a Weisbrod sideout kill and five service points from
Maddey Cruse to move from 8-7 to 14-7. Earlier, after Nova Southeastern went ahead 2-1, Zieman tied the set from Koerner, Smith followed with a block for a 3-2 lead, and kills by Weisbrod and Smith helped ERAU build a 5-2 advantage. During the mid-set run,
Haley Manjack was involved in two blocks and Zieman added three kills, giving Embry-Riddle control at 14-7. Nova Southeastern cut the margin to 19-16, but the Blue and Gold answered with four straight points, including a
Taylor Fonseca ace and a Smith kill, to reach 23-16. After the Sharks closed within 23-19, Smith and Manjack delivered late kills as ERAU finished the set 25-20.
ERAU came back from an 18-14 deficit and later answered NSU's 24-23 lead to take the third set 26-24. Earlier, the Eagles recovered from a 6-4 hole as Smith and Weisbrod put down kills, Manjack and Koerner combined on a block, and Zieman followed with a kill during a move to a 9-7 lead. Nova Southeastern pushed back through the middle of the set, but Embry-Riddle erased the 18-14 margin with Cruse serving, getting kills from Weisbrod, Zieman and Manjack plus a Cruse ace to move in front 19-18. After Nova Southeastern went back up 24-23, Smith tied it from Fonseca, and back-to-back blocks involving Manjack and Weisbrod finished the set for ERAU.
A 3-0 start opened the fourth set for Embry-Riddle, which then broke it open with 10 consecutive points, turning a 4-2 edge into a 14-2 lead behind Fonseca's serving rotation. Manjack had three kills during that stretch, Smith added three kills and teamed with Hrbek and Weisbrod in the block effort, while Koerner assisted on each of the Eagles' kills in the run. Nova Southeastern briefly answered with two points, but Weisbrod and Zieman supplied kills as ERAU kept the margin at double digits. Zieman added three more kills after the midpoint of the set, Hrbek delivered a late kill, and Zieman's service ace helped bring the Eagles to set point before an attack error closed ERAU's 25-10 fourth-set win.
Inside the Statistics
- Zieman finished with 21 kills, 20 digs, two service aces and 23.0 points.
- Zieman's 20 digs were both a season high and a career high.
- Koerner recorded 56 assists, 15 digs, two kills and a service ace.
- Koerner's 56 assists were a season high, and she has recorded at least 15 digs in two consecutive matches.
- Manjack added eight kills while hitting .467 and collected a team-high six total blocks.
- Smith posted 14 kills, 16.0 points and three total blocks.
- Smith has recorded at least 14 kills in two consecutive matches and at least 16.0 points in two consecutive matches.
- Weisbrod had 14 kills and 15.5 points, both season highs.
Up Next
Embry-Riddle volleyball is set to travel to St. Petersburg, Fla., to face Eckerd on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. ET at the McArthur Center.
