BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Lynn University volleyball team battled through five hard-fought sets but came up just short against Embry-Riddle, falling 3-2 (25-20, 15-25, 16-25, 25-21, 13-15) on Friday evening inside the deHoernle Sports and Cultural Center. With the setback, the Fighting Knights moved to 14-2 overall and 4-2 in Sunshine State Conference play. Brooke Jackson led the way with a season-high 20 kills, while Lillia Neill and Nadia Rossi each added double-digit performances as Lynn pushed the Eagles to the limit in another tightly contested SSC matchup.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1: Lynn, 25-20
- Embry-Riddle opened on a 3-0 run before Ula Gorjup's block and Alexia Radulovic's kill got Lynn rolling
- The two teams traded points early, with Rossi and Neill connecting for key kills to even the score at 10-10
- Lynn began to pull away behind strong swings from Radulovic and Jackson, taking an 18-15 lead
- Following an Eagles timeout, Jackson dropped in a service ace, and Gorjup closed the frame with back-to-back aces to clinch the set, 25-20
Set 2: Embry-Riddle, 25-15
- Lynn grabbed the early edge with kills from Rossi and Neill, but Embry-Riddle responded with a 7-3 stretch to take control
- Despite kills from Jackson, Neill, and Valentina Mogg, the Eagles' attack kept Lynn on the defensive, 19-8
- A late ace from Radulovic trimmed the deficit, but Embry-Riddle closed the set on a Lynn miscue to even the match at 1-1
Set 3: Embry-Riddle, 25-16
- Lynn started strong with a kill from Jackson and an Embry-Riddle attack error to go up 2-0
- The Eagles regained momentum with a 7-2 run to go up 7-4
- Lynn stayed within reach as Radulovic, Rossi, and Neill chipped in kills to make it 13-11 midway through the frame
- Clara Maidantchik delivered a service ace to keep the Fighting Knights close, but Embry-Riddle closed with a 12-5 finish, taking the third set 25-16 and a 2-1 match lead
Set 4: Lynn, 25-21
- The Blue and White came out energized, jumping ahead 3-0 after kills from Jackson and Neill and an ERAU attack error
- Jackson and Gorjup continued to apply pressure, helping Lynn maintain a 9-7 lead through the midpoint
- A block from Radulovic and Wilson and a pair of kills from Radulovic and Wilson pushed the margin to 17-15
- Embry-Riddle fought back to tie the set at 18-18, but Jackson, Radulovic, and Neill delivered clutch plays down the stretch
- Lynn sealed the set 25-21 on an Eagles attack error to force a decisive fifth
Set 5: Embry-Riddle, 15-13
- Both teams traded points early, with Embry-Riddle jumping out early before a Hope Passerello service ace pulled Lynn within one, 7-6
- After the teams switched sides, back-to-back kills from Wilson and Jackson tied the set up at 8-8 before an ERAU error gave Lynn the 9-8 advantage
- Embry-Riddle answered with a 4-1 run fueled by Rujano and Zieman, pulling ahead, 12-10
- Neill, Jackson and Rossi sparked a late push to bring Lynn within two at 14-12, but the Eagles held on to claim the final point and the match, 15-13.
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Jackson led the Fighting Knights with a season-high 20 kills, adding seven digs, two service aces, and a block assist for a team-high 22.5 points
- Neill was efficient on the attack with 11 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, while also contributing three block assists and a dig
- Rossi chipped in 10 kills and eight digs, while Radulovic tallied six kills, four digs, and a service ace
- Gorjup directed the offense with a team-leading 30 assists, while also recording 14 digs, two service aces, and three total blocks (one solo, two assists)
- Maidantchik added six assists, nine digs, and two service aces, while Passerello provided 11 assists, four digs, and a service ace off the bench
- Wilson and Radulovic combined for six block assists, while Wilson also notched four kills
- The Fighting Knights finished the night with 53 kills, 51 assists, 64 digs, 14 total blocks, and eight service aces, hitting .136 as a team across five sets
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights close out the week with a major SSC matchup on Saturday afternoon as Lynn hosts Florida Tech at the deHoernle Sports and Cultural Center on Oct. 11 at 4 pm.