JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Seniors Chelsea Lyles (Colorado Springs, Col./Harrison HS/Western Nebraska CC) and Adrianne McNally (Howell, Mich./Pinckney HS) each registered 11 kills as the FGCU volleyball squad swept UNF 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-21) Saturday afternoon to pick up their first A-Sun Conference victory of the season.
FGCU (4-12, 1-1 A-Sun) outhit the Ospreys (3-12, 1-1 A-Sun) .274-.161 and used a match-high 62 digs to frustrate the UNF offense.
Lyles finished the match with 11 kills, three block assists and a .409 hitting percentage. McNally recorded her second consecutive double-double as she tallied 11 kills (.375 hitting percentage) and a career-high 15 digs. Freshman setter Camil Dominguez (Santo Domingo, D.R./Santa Teresita) registered six kills, eight digs and 36 assists, while sophomore Brittany Muse (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) added eight kills. Junior libero Holly Youngquist (Estero, Fla./Evangelical Christian) racked up a match-high 23 digs.
In the opening set, the two teams went back and forth and with the game tied at 14-14, the Blue and Green used kills from seniors Jacqueline Cowden (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS/Temple) and Caitlin Shawver (Lauderdale by the Sea, Fla./Northeast HS/Barry) to give themselves some breathing room (16-14). Leading 22-20, FGCU scored on a UNF service error, to grab a 23-20 lead. North Florida pulled within two points (24-22), but Lyles blasted a kill on the next play to give the Eagles the game (25-22) and a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Eagles jumped out to a 10-7 lead in the second stanza, but the Ospreys fought back to tie the set (11-11). The Ospreys would get no closer as FGCU used a 14-5 run to close out the game (25-16) and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
The Blue and Green shot out to a 12-3 lead in the third set, highlighted by five McNally kills. The home team would not throw in the towel as UNF used a 14-5 run to tie the game at 17. Following kills by Muse and Shawver and a service ace by Lindsey Childs (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./South Plantation HS), the Eagles extended their lead back to three, 20-17. FGCU would go on to hold off UNF to win the set (25-21) and secure their first conference victory of the 2010 campaign.
The Eagles will be back on the court on Friday, Oct. 8 at Campbell. Match time is set for 7 p.m. in Buies Creek N.C.
FGCU's next home tilt will be October 15 when they host the Owls of Kennesaw State at Alico Arena at 6 p.m.
