BOCA RATON, Fla. - On a spirited Halloween night inside the deHoernle Sports and Cultural Center, the Lynn University volleyball team delivered a treat for the home crowd, outlasting Rollins in a thrilling five-set battle (25-16, 25-20, 13-25, 26-28, 15-8). The Fighting Knights improved to 18-4 overall and 8-4 in Sunshine State Conference play, fueled by standout performances from Brooke Jackson, Nadia Rossi, and Laney Wilson, who led a balanced offensive effort that sealed Lynn's eighth conference win of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1: Lynn, 25-16
- Rollins jumped out to an early 4-0 lead behind strong serving, but Lynn quickly settled in as Rossi and Wilson ignited the offense with a pair of kills to swing momentum
- A 6-2 Fighting Knight run, highlighted by a service ace from Clara Maidantchik and kills from Jackson and Alexia Radulovic, gave Lynn its first lead at 10-8
- Lynn's front line began to dominate as Lillia Neill and Jackson combined for a key block to push the margin to 12-10, forcing a Rollins timeout
- Out of the break, Ula Gorjup orchestrated a balanced attack, setting up Neill and Wilson for consecutive kills before Maidantchik delivered another ace to extend the lead to 22-15
- Radulovic and Neill finished the job, each posting late kills as Lynn closed the frame 25-16 to take a 1-0 match lead
 
Set 2: Lynn, 25-20
- The second set was tightly contested through the early going, with both teams trading points to a 7-7 tie
- After a brief surge by Rollins, Lynn responded behind Rossi and Jackson, who combined for five kills during a 6-2 stretch that swung the lead back in Lynn's favor
- The Fighting Knights took control late in the set behind a dominant service run from Joelle Alexander, which included an ace and a pair of Rollins attack errors
- Wilson and Rossi each came through with kills to push the advantage to 22-19, and Gorjup sealed the frame with a service ace for the 25-20 win and a commanding 2-0 match lead
 
Set 3: Rollins, 25-13
- The Tars came out firing in the third set, capitalizing on early Lynn attack errors to build a 7-2 lead
- Despite kills from Wilson, Neill, and Jackson, Rollins' block and serve receive steadied the frame, forcing multiple Lynn miscues
- Gorjup and Rossi tried to rally the offense late, but Rollins maintained control, closing out the set 25-13 to extend the match
 
Set 4: Rollins, 28-26
- Set four featured one of the most competitive stretches of the night, with 12 ties and several lead changes
- Lynn built a 14-12 edge following back-to-back kills from Rossi and an ace from Alexander, but Rollins answered with a 4-1 run to reclaim the lead
- The Fighting Knights battled back as Rossi and Jackson notched clutch kills to keep Lynn alive at 24-24
- Despite several set points on both sides, Rollins escaped with a 28-26 win after consecutive kills from the Tars forced a decisive fifth set
 
Set 5: Lynn, 15-8
- With momentum on the line, Lynn responded emphatically. Rossi delivered back-to-back kills to spark a 6-5 lead
- Gorjup added a timely service ace and Rossi caught fire from the outside, contributing two kills and a key ace to stretch the gap to 13-8
- Fittingly, Jackson finished off the match with three consecutive kills, securing the 15-8 fifth-set win and a thrilling 3-2 victory for the Fighting Knights
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Jackson turned in a dominant all-around performance, leading the Fighting Knights with 19 kills on a stellar .400 hitting percentage, while also adding 19 digs and two block assists for a match-high 20 points
- Wilson was a force at the net, recording 11 kills on .450 hitting and contributing five block assists for 13.5 total points
- Rossi added 15 kills, two service aces, and six digs, finishing with 17 total points
- Neill chipped in six kills and tied for the team lead with four total blocks
- Gorjup orchestrated the offense masterfully with 46 assists, four kills on .500 hitting, three aces, and 12 digs for an all-around 8-point effort
- Maidantchik anchored the defense with a team-high 21 digs while also contributing five assists and two service aces
- Radulovic added five kills and three block assists, while Joelle Alexander contributed a service ace and five digs in key moments
- As a team, Lynn hit .229 with 61 kills, 89 digs, 14 total blocks, and eight service aces, improving to 18-4 overall and 8-4 in Sunshine State Conference play with the five-set victory over Rollins

UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights return home on Saturday, Nov. 1 as Lynn hosts Eckerd in the deHoernle Sports and Cultural Center to open up the month of November at 4:00 p.m.