BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University opened the home portion of its 2022 schedule on Friday night with a 3-1 loss to No. 1 ranked Tampa at the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center.
 
The Fighting Knights (6-3, 1-2 SSC) won the first set 25-20 and led by four points late in the second set before ultimately falling to the Spartans (10-0, 3-0 SSC). Tampa took the match by winning the final three sets 26-24, 25-18 and 25-22.
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT NUMBERS:
- Four players finished with 10 or more kills as senior Nadia Lindner led all players with 21 kills. She also hit .293 with 11 digs
- Senior Paige Barash was second for Lynn with 17 kills and 13 digs
- Graduate student Nikolija Katanic had 11 kills and hit .318, while graduate Monica Mazzoleni finished with 10 kills and four blocks
- Senior Emily Edwards led both teams with 51 assists and 17 digs
- Graduate Libero Marin Black posted 18 digs and six assists
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- In front of a packed arena, Lynn trailed just once in the opening set and opened a 9-5 lead following two kills from Lindner
- Kills by Barash and Edwards and a block from Barash and Mazzoleni pushed Lynn's edge to 15-9
- The Fighting Knights took the first set behind two kills from Lindner, 25-20
- Lynn appeared to have the momentum in set two following a 9-0 run for a 15-9 lead. Barash opened the spurt with two kills, while a block from Katanic and Mazzoleni closed the run
- Lindner posted four more kills for a 21-17 lead and later a 23-21 advantage
- Tampa rebounded for the win by scoring five of the final six points for the 26-24 win
- Set three featured seven ties and three lead changes until Tampa collected a 5-0 run that saw Lynn's two-point lead evaporate into a 17-14 edge for the visitors
- The Fighting Knights scored three-straight points to retake the lead at 19-18. Lindner posted a kill and an ace and Katanic had a kill during the run
- The Spartans called a timeout and then scored six-straight points to rally for a 25-18 win
- Lynn never led in the fourth game but did manage to tie the score at 20-20. Katanic and Barash smacked back-to-back kills that forced another Tampa timeout
- The Spartans pulled away behind three kills down the stretch from Kalli Cors for the 25-22 win
 
UP NEXT:
Lynn hosts Eckerd tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 pm.