BOCA RATON, Fla, - The Lynn University volleyball team bounced back in strong fashion on Saturday afternoon, defeating Florida Tech 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23) inside the deHoernle Sports and Cultural Center. With the victory, the Fighting Knights improved to 15-2 overall and 5-2 in Sunshine State Conference play. Nadia Rossi led the charge with 17 kills and 13 digs, while Brooke Jackson added 15 kills and four service aces as Lynn's balanced attack powered the Blue and White back into the win column.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1: Florida Tech, 25-23
- Lynn jumped out early behind kills from Rossi, Ula Gorjup, and Laney Wilson to build a 5-2 advantage
- The Fighting Knights continued to pressure the Panthers as Jackson tallied a pair of service aces to extend the Blue and White lead to 14-12
- Florida Tech responded with a steady run midway through the frame, capitalizing on several Lynn miscues to pull even at 20-20
- Despite late kills from Rossi and Lillia Neill, the Panthers held off the Blue and White to take the opener, 25-23
Set 2: Lynn, 25-16
- The Panthers opened strong, but Lynn quickly regrouped as Jackson, Rossi and Alexia Radulovic powered a 5-2 run to regain momentum at 6-5
- The Fighting Knights' offense started clicking as Lynn went on a 11-4 run fueled by three consecutive kills from Radulovic and a momentum-shifting service ace by Gorjup, 17-10
- Jackson kept the Blue and White's momentum with back-to-back service aces as Lynn maintained its sizeable lead, 21-13
- Rossi closed out the frame with three kills as Lynn hit .217 in the set to even the match, 1-1
Set 3: Lynn, 25-20
- Lynn carried its momentum into the third, racing ahead 8-5 behind a strong serving run from Joelle Alexander and timely kills from Radulovic, Wilson and Neill
- Rossi and Neill continued to find success on the attack, tallying multiple kills as Lynn pushed its advantage to 16-10
- Florida Tech trimmed the deficit to three late, but a timely block from Neill and Gorjup kept Lynn in the driver's seat, 21-17
- Rossi delivered three timely kills down the stretch before a Panther attack error sealed the set for the Fighting Knights, 25-20
Set 4: Lynn, 25-23
- Despite early kills from Wilson and Jackson, Florida Tech took a 6-4 advantage to start the set, capitalizing on a few Lynn miscues
- With the Panthers in control, Florida Tech rattled off a 4-1 run to take a five-point lead heading into Lynn's first timeout of the set, 14-9
- The Fighting Knights battled back as a rejection from Jackson and Neill kickstarted a 7-3 run for the Blue and White as Lynn closed the gap at 17-16
- The Lynn defensive front held up in crunch time with Rossi, Neill, Gorjup and Wilson all earning block assists down the stretch as the Fighting Knights took their first lead of the set at 20-19
- The Blue and White kept their momentum rolling as libero Haidyn Spano sprawled out for a save that sailed over the net and dropped untouched between three Panther defenders for a Lynn point, extending the lead to 23-20
- Florida Tech battled back to tie the frame up at 23-23 before a costly service error put the Fighting Knights back in control at match point, 24-23
- Rossi sealed the match with a service ace that deflected off the Panthers' hands, lifting the Fighting Knights to a 3-1 victory and back into the win column
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Rossi led the attack with a team-high 17 kills on a strong .300 hitting percentage, adding 13 digs, three block assists, and one ace for her fourth double-double of the season
- She currently ranks second in the SSC in kills with 208 and fourth in kills per set at a 3.65 clip
- Jackson followed with 15 kills, four service aces, and 13 digs for her second double-double of the year
- Jackson has been quite the force for the Fighting Knights over the past week, tallying 48 kills, eight aces and four blocks assists over her last three starts
- Neill was efficient in the middle, posting 11 kills on .333 hitting to go along with six total blocks (two solo, four assists) and 15.0 points
- She currently ranks fifth in the conference in hitting percentage at .350 on the season
- Gorjup directed the offense with a team-high 43 assists, a season-high 23 digs, two aces, and two block assists
- Gorjup leads the league in assists with 571 while also ranking first in assist per set (10.38), She also is tied for second in service aces at 29 in 2025
- Radulovic added seven kills, four digs, and two block assists, while Laney Wilson contributed five kills and three blocks
- In her biggest game so far this season, Spano anchored the defense with 16 digs, while Clara Maidantchik chipped in four assists, eight digs, and two service aces
- As a team, the Fighting Knights hit .213 with 59 kills, 58 assists, 91 digs, 14 total blocks, and seven service aces across four sets
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights hit the road next weekend to begin a three-game SSC road trip, opening with a matchup at No. 1 Tampa on Friday, Oct. 17, at 7:00 p.m.