MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - The Lynn University volleyball team came out strong on Tuesday night, taking the opening set in impressive fashion before No. 3 Barry rallied to claim a 3-1 victory (20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-19). The Fighting Knights (16-4, 6-4 SSC) displayed balanced offense and grit throughout the match, led by Brooke Jackson's 12 kills and Ula Gorjup's 40 assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1: Lynn, 25-22
- Barry opened the match with an ace, but Nadia Rossi quickly answered with a kill to even the score before Clara Maidantchik delivered a service ace to give Lynn an early 2-1 lead
- Joelle Alexander entered and made an immediate impact, setting up Alexia Radulovic for a kill and following it up with a service ace to push Lynn ahead 7-4
- The Buccaneers surged ahead 14-11 behind a pair of blocks and Lynn attack errors, prompting a Fighting Knight timeout
- Out of the break, Lynn flipped the momentum with a massive 10-0 run, powered by back-to-back service aces from Rossi as well as kills from Jackson, Radulovic, and Laney Wilson
- The dominant stretch gave Lynn a 21-14 cushion and forced two Barry timeouts
-  The Bucs trimmed the deficit late, but Jackson and Radulovic came through with clutch kills to keep the Blue and White in control
- On set point, Lillia Neill hammered home a kill on Gorjup's assist to seal the frame, 25-20, giving Lynn the early 1-0 match lead
 
Set 2: Barry, 25-23
- Barry opened the second frame with back-to-back kills to grab an early 2-0 lead before Gorjup put Lynn on the board with a kill assisted by Haidyn Spano
- The teams traded points through the early going, highlighted by another Gorjup kill and strong defensive play at the net from Wilson
- After several unforced errors by both sides, Barry began to pull away 7-4 following a service ace and a kill however Jackson halted the Bucs' momentum with a kill and a service ace to trim the deficit to 10-9
- Out of a break, Lynn regrouped as Wilson and Neill powered home kills to keep the Blue and White within reach
- Lynn tied the frame at 19-19 after kills from Neill and Rossi, but Barry's front line responded with a series of timely kills and blocks to regain control
- The Bucs reached set point at 24-20 following a service ace, but Lynn refused to go quietly as Wilson and Jackson each delivered clutch kills to close the gap to 24-23
- Barry held firm, closing out the set 25-23 on a solo block by to even the match at one set apiece
 
Set 3: Barry, 25-17
- Lynn got on the board following a Buccaneer service error but struggled to build momentum early as Barry raced out to a 7-3 lead
- Alexander provided a spark off the bench with a service ace and forced a Barry miscue to close the gap at 7-6
- Barry countered with a 4-1 run capped by an ace to make it 11-7 and force a Lynn timeout
- The Buccaneers pushed their lead to 15-8, prompting another Lynn timeout
- Lynn responded with back-to-back kills from Rossi to bring the score to 16-10, but Barry quickly regained rhythm
- Despite late kills from Radulovic and Neill, Barry remained steady as a final kill sealed the 25-17 win and the 3-0 match victory for the Buccaneers
 
Set 4: Barry, 25-19
- Barry opened the fourth set strong, capitalizing on early Lynn attack errors to build an 8-3 lead and force a quick timeout
- Lynn settled in behind kills from Neill and Gorjup, trimming the deficit to 10-8, but Barry's front line continued to control the net with multiple blocks
- The Buccaneers extended their advantage to 15-11 after a dominant blocking stretch, prompting another Lynn timeout
- Valentina Mogg came off the bench to spark the Fighting Knights' offense with several key kills, helping Lynn close within 20-18
- Barry responded out of its own timeout with a late push to take the set 25-19 and secure the match victory
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Jackson paced the Fighting Knights with 12 kills on a .391 hitting percentage, adding a service ace for 13 total points
- Radulovic turned in an efficient performance with eight kills on a .368 clip, while Wilson and Neill each contributed seven kills
- Gorjup directed the offense with 40 assists, chipped in six kills on a .455 percentage, and added seven digs and one ace for a strong all-around outing
- Mogg provided a late spark off the bench with six kills on .500 hitting in just one set of action
- Rossi tallied six kills, two aces, and eight digs, while Alexander added two aces and two digs
- Maidantchik anchored the back row with 12 digs and a service ace, and Fabia Gonzalez Stanton posted seven assists and six digs
- As a team, Lynn hit .194 with 53 kills, 47 digs, and eight service aces, while totaling 62 points overall
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights return home this weekend to host Saint Leo in Sunshine State Conference action on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7:00 pm.