Lira Pukl Verdel recorded 13 kills as No. 12 Lynn University women’s volleyball defeated Saint Leo 3-0 on Sept. 26 at the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center in Boca Raton. Lynn won the sets 25-13, 25-14 and 25-23 to improve to 11-2 overall and 3-1 in Sunshine State Conference play. The victory marked Lynn’s third consecutive conference win.
Lynn hit .346 for the match with 45 kills and nine attacking errors. Saint Leo hit .077 and finished with 26 kills. Lynn also held advantages in blocks, 11-4; assists, 41-23; and digs, 44-32.
Lynn controls the first two sets
Ula Gorjup opened the match with an ace, and Lynn began creating separation after the teams traded points early. Pukl Verdel sparked a five-point surge that included kills from Alexia Radulovic, Audrey Shaw and Zara Rendic. Clara Maidantchik added consecutive service aces during a four-point run that pushed Lynn’s lead to 19-9.
Lynn closed the opening set with 16 kills and two attacking errors, hitting .452 in the 25-13 victory. Lillia Neill and Pukl Verdel combined for four kills during the closing stretch. Gorjup, Radulovic, Shaw, Rendic and Maidantchik all contributed during Lynn’s early offensive runs.
Saint Leo took a 5-3 lead in the second set, but Lynn responded with kills from Neill and Rendic. With Lynn trailing 9-7, kills from Pukl Verdel and Shaw, an ace from Gorjup, and a block by Radulovic and Shaw helped produce a 6-1 run.
Rendic added two kills before Gorjup and Neill teamed up for a block to extend Lynn’s lead to 17-12. Lynn scored the final four points of the set, including a block by Shaw and Pukl Verdel. The Fighting Knights hit .400 in the frame and held Saint Leo to seven kills and a .000 hitting percentage.
Pukl Verdel closes out the sweep
Saint Leo provided its strongest challenge in the third set, which featured 13 ties. Lynn turned an early 3-1 deficit into a 7-4 lead, but Saint Leo rallied to tie the set at 9-9 and later moved ahead 20-18. Pukl Verdel then delivered three consecutive kills to help Lynn regain momentum.
Kills from Rendic, Pukl Verdel and Neill put Lynn ahead 21-20. Saint Leo answered with a 22-21 lead before Pukl Verdel tied the set, Shaw moved Lynn in front 23-22 and Saint Leo leveled the score at 23-23. Pukl Verdel followed with the go-ahead kill and a solo block to seal the 25-23 victory.
Lynn finished the third set with 17 kills and hit .250. The performance completed the straight-set win and gave Lynn its second victory in as many days after the Fighting Knights defeated Eckerd in five sets on Sept. 25.
Balanced production lifts Lynn
Pukl Verdel led all players with 13 kills on .423 hitting, nine digs, three blocks and one ace. Neill added 10 kills on 13 attacks with one error for a .692 hitting percentage, along with five blocks. Shaw finished with six kills on .385 hitting and five blocks, while Radulovic contributed six kills and four blocks.
Rendic recorded seven kills and 10 digs. Gorjup led all players with 36 assists and added two aces and three blocks. Maidantchik led Lynn with 11 digs and contributed two service aces.
Lynn hit better than .400 in each of the first two sets, posting a .452 percentage in the opening frame and .400 in the second. The Fighting Knights have won 11 of their first 13 matches to open the season. Lynn will return to the road next weekend to face Rollins in Winter Park on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.
FSB Take
Lynn University women’s volleyball combined efficient hitting with advantages in every major statistical category to secure the sweep. Pukl Verdel led the attack, while Lynn’s blocking and serve pressure helped the team withstand Saint Leo’s late third-set push. The match extended Lynn’s winning start and set up the team’s next road appearance against Rollins.
Source: Original report