No. 9 Lynn defeated Eckerd 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 26-28, 25-18) Saturday afternoon at the McArthur Center in St. Petersburg. The loss came in a Sunshine State match for Eckerd College women’s volleyball. Hayden Nash led Eckerd with 13 kills while hitting .290.
Eckerd also received 10 kills apiece from Peyton Walker and Jaelynn Tunley. Walker hit .500 and added seven blocks, while Eckerd finished the match with a .175 hitting percentage compared with .229 for Lynn. The Tritons won the third set after Lynn held match point at 24-23.
Eckerd rallies to win third set
Eckerd opened the match by taking a 9-5 lead, but Lynn rallied to tie the first set at 11. The Tritons erased a 19-17 deficit and tied the set at 23-23 after consecutive kills from Nash and Kaitlyn Dohs. Lynn scored the final two points to take the opening set 25-23.
The second set remained close early, with Eckerd overcoming an 8-5 deficit to tie the score at 8-8. The Tritons stayed within one point at 17-16 and pulled within two at 23-21 after a Walker kill. Lynn again scored the final two points, taking the set 25-21 and a 2-0 match lead.
Eckerd produced its strongest offensive set in the third, hitting .319 with 18 kills. The Tritons built a 23-19 lead after two Tunley kills and a Nash finish, but Lynn answered with five consecutive points to take a 24-23 advantage and hold match point. Eckerd moved ahead 25-24 after a Lynn error and a Nash kill, then won 28-26 after Seiler Hruska put the Tritons in front and Lynn committed another attack error.
Lynn took control of the fourth set after the teams played to a 5-5 tie. The Fighting Knights built a 12-7 advantage, but Eckerd cut the deficit to 18-15 during a three-point run that included a Nash kill and two blocks involving Nash. Lynn closed the set 25-18 to secure the match.
Weber and Williams lead Eckerd defense
Lilli Weber directed Eckerd’s offense with 39 assists and added 12 digs. Sydney Williams recorded a match-high 19 digs and two service aces, while Tunley also finished with 12 digs. Seiler Hruska added one service ace.
Eckerd will return to action at Florida Southern on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. The match will be the Tritons’ next opportunity after Saturday’s four-set result against Lynn. Eckerd and Lynn played at the McArthur Center in St. Petersburg.
FSB Take
Eckerd’s third-set comeback kept the match competitive after Lynn claimed the opening two sets. Nash led the attack, while Walker, Tunley, Weber and Williams supplied important contributions across the net and back row. The Tritons now turn to their Oct. 27 match at Florida Southern.
Source: Original report