LAKELAND, Fla. - The Lynn University volleyball team showcased resilience and balance on Saturday afternoon, storming back from an early deficit to defeat Florida Southern, 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-19, 26-24), inside Jenkins Field House. The victory lifts the Fighting Knights to 16-3 overall and 6-3 in Sunshine State Conference play, highlighted by a thrilling fourth-set comeback in which Lynn erased a 12-2 deficit behind dominant serving and clutch performances from Brooke Jackson, Lillia Neill, and Valentina Mogg.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1: Florida Southern, 25-23
- Lynn opened the match strong with a kill from Ula Gorjup, assisted by Jackson, to take a 1-0 lead
- The Mocs answered with a quick 3-0 run behind a service ace and two kills to move in front 3-1
- The Fighting Knights regained momentum with kills from Laney Wilson and Nadia Rossi, later tying the set at 7-7 after Jackson delivered a well-timed kill
- A service ace and a block gave the Mocs an 11-8 advantage, but Lynn responded with a spark as back-to-back kills from Jackson helped even things at 11-11.
- Florida Southern capitalized on a pair of Lynn errors and another ace to pull ahead 16-12, prompting a Lynn timeout
- Out of the break, Alexia Radulovic and Jackson added three more kills as Lynn battled back within 19-18, forcing the Mocs to call timeout
- Lynn fought off two set points thanks to a Radulovic ace and a kill from Neill, but Florida Southern closed the frame on a kill to win it, 25-23

Set 2: Lynn, 25-18
- Lynn came out firing to start the second set, racing to a 3-0 lead behind kills from Neill, Gorjup, and Rossi
- After Florida Southern pulled within 4-3, the Fighting Knights began to take control as Jackson sparked the offense with three straight kills to make it 8-5
- A pair of Moccasin attack errors and a block from Neill and Jackson capped off a 6-0 Lynn surge, forcing Florida Southern to call timeout trailing 11-5
- The Mocs briefly cut the margin to 14-11, but Lynn responded with a kill from Wilson and a service ace from Jackson to extend the advantage to 16-11
- Florida Southern rallied again to within 16-14, prompting a Lynn timeout, but the Knights answered with kills from Rossi and Jackson to steady the set
- Down the stretch, Joelle Alexander entered and immediately provided a spark, assisting on two straight kills to Radulovic and Jackson as Lynn pulled away 22-17
- A block from Neill and Gorjup set up set point, and Jackson finished the frame with her sixth kill of the set to secure it, 25-18, and even the match at one apiece

Set 3: Lynn, 25-19
- The Fighting Knights carried their momentum into the third set, taking a 5-2 lead thanks to early kills from Neill, Wilson, and Rossi, along with an ace by Clara Maidantchik
- Florida Southern tied it at 7-7 behind a service ace and two kills, but Radulovic answered with a kill to regain the edge for Lynn
- The Mocs used a short 3-0 run, capped by a service ace, to go ahead 10-8, prompting a Lynn timeout
- Out of the break, the Fighting Knights responded with kills from Neill and Jackson, trimming the deficit before taking the lead at 16-15 on consecutive Moccasin attack errors
- Lynn surged from there, with Rossi, Radulovic, and Wilson combining for a 6-1 rally that extended the margin to 22-16
- A block from Wilson and Radulovic and another kill from Rossi pushed the Knights to match point at 24-18
- After a brief Florida Southern timeout, Radulovic sealed the win with a kill assisted by Gorjup, closing out the set 25-19 and securing the 2-1 advantage for Lynn

Set 4: Lynn, 26-24
- Florida Southern came out hot, jumping ahead 10-2 with three Lynn attack errors and back-to-back aces
- The Mocs extended their lead to 12-2 before Mogg came off the bench to deliver a kill that stopped the run
- With the set seemingly slipping away, Jackson stepped to the service line and completely changed the momentum
- Trailing 16-9, Jackson sparked a massive 7-0 surge behind three consecutive aces and kills from Mogg and Neill to tie the score at 16-16
- The teams traded points down the stretch, with Mogg and Wilson helping Lynn stay close while Radulovic and Alexander came up clutch off the bench
- Alexander added a key service ace late to give Lynn a late 23-22 lead
- Neill delivered back-to-back kills to push the Fighting Knights to set point, and Mogg and Neill combined for a block on the final rally to complete the comeback, 26-24
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Jackson delivered a strong all-around performance with 13 kills, 14 digs, and four service aces to lead the Blue and White attack
- Both middle blockers in Neill and Wilson were forces at the net - Neill tallied 12 kills (ties season-best), hit .375, and added a team-best six blocks, while Wilson matched her with a season-best 12 kills on a .409 hitting clip
- Rossi chipped in 12 kills and six digs, and Radulovic added eight kills and two blocks off the bench
- Gorjup directed the attack with 47 assists, 16 digs, and five total points, earning a double-double
- Mogg made a key impact late, contributing three kills and two blocks in one set of action
- Maidantchik and Alexander combined for four aces and six assists
- As a team, Lynn hit .265 with 65 kills, 71 digs, 14 total blocks, and seven service aces, while holding Florida Southern to a .133 attack percentage
- This marks the second-most kills for the Blue and White in a match this season and the most kills in a four-set match for any squad in the SSC in 2025
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights close out their three-game SSC road trip with a Tuesday night showdown in Miami Gardens against No. 3 Barry on Oct. 21 at 7:00 pm.