ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - The Eckerd volleyball team battled back in a five-set thriller to tie the match twice against Flagler (Fla.), but the Saints went on a series of runs in the decisive fifth set to take the match as Eckerd suffered a road loss Saturday night.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Flagler 3, Eckerd 2 (20-25, 27-25, 20-25, 25-25, 3-15)
Records: Eckerd (7-5), Flagler (11-3)
All-Time Series: Eckerd leads 12-4
HOW IT HAPPENED
* Eckerd took the first two points of the night on a Flagler service error followed by a
Stephanie Karlovics ace. The Tritons extended their lead to 4-2 off of
Payton Meader kill, but the Saints soon claimed the lead on the strength of four straight points. Flagler maintained the lead for the remainder of the set. Eckerd battled to pull within one point twice, first off of
Arielle Erillo's service ace and later following a
Paula Hoffmann kill. The Tritons, however, were unable to pull even as Flagler went on to take the first set, 25-20.
* Flagler began the second set with three straight points before Eckerd used a five-point run behind the service of senior
Kaitlyn Sibson to take a 10-6 lead. Flagler went on its own run of four points behind kills from Taja Valmyr and Sara Davis to take a 15-14 lead. The rest of the set remained tight between the two teams. Eckerd evened the score at 18-18 behind an
Abbie O'Ferrell kill and again at 19-19 after a Karlovics kill. Eckerd then held off set point twice and used a three-point run to end the set on a
Madison Whiting block and a kill from O'Ferrell for a 27-25 win.
* The Saints used a pair of three-point runs to start the third set and take a 9-5 advantage. Eckerd again rallied behind the service of Sibson to score four straight points and even the score at 9-9. The score was tied two more times Flagler went on to take the lead and the set by a score of 25-20.
* The start of set four remained tight with the teams knotted up at 6-6. Eckerd, however, built a sizable lead soon afterward thanks to a five-point run which included two kills by Hoffmann and an ace by Kali Boatright to take a 16-9 lead. Eckerd then ended the fourth set rolling off five consecutive points starting with a Sibson kill. Sibson then went to the service line where she gave Flagler fits in its reception, and Eckerd later sealed the set on a
Rachel Cornatzer block.
* An early seven-point run by Flagler that including four Triton attack errors set the tone for the final set as the Saints rushed to an 8-1 lead. Hoffmann tallied on another kill to make the score 8-2, but Flagler went on another run of five points and closed the set with a 15-3 win to take the match.
NOTABLE
* The match was evenly played, as Eckerd and Flagler were close in most statistical categories. Both teams were tied in points (69) and blocks (6) while Eckerd had a slight edge in kills (54-53), Flagler led in aces (10-9) and assists (50-48).
* Hoffman set a new career-high in kills with 25, surpassing her previous mark of 23 against Rollins (September 23). She also missed her fifth double-double by one dig.
*
Kaitlyn Sibson recorded 20 digs for the fifth time this season. She has recorded 20 or more digs in her last three outings.
UP NEXT
Eckerd has a week off from conference play and will head to Birmingham, Alabama, next weekend for the South Region Crossover where the Tritons will play three games.
