WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Lynn volleyball showed its resilience on Tuesday night, rallying twice and delivering a poised fifth-set finish to defeat Palm Beach Atlantic, 3-2, inside Rubin Arena. With the victory, the Fighting Knights improved to 20-9 overall and 10-9 in Sunshine State Conference play, highlighted by standout performances from Nadia Rossi, Laney Wilson, and Hope Passerello.
 
After dropping the opening frame, the Blue and White surged back to take sets two and three, and later sealed the match with a gritty 18–16 triumph in the fifth to secure a crucial late-season road win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1: Palm Beach Atlantic, 25-13
- Lynn kept things close early at 2-2 after a kill from Wilson, but PBA responded with a 5-1 stretch fueled by two kills to build a 7-3 advantage
- The Sailfish continued to push behind strong serving, adding two service aces and capitalizing on Lynn attack errors to extend their lead to 13-7, prompting a pair of Lynn timeouts
- Wilson, Rossi, and Brooke Jackson added late kills to try to halt the PBA momentum, but the Sailfish stayed in system, using balanced offense and consistent setting to move ahead 22-11
- PBA closed the frame on a 3-2 finishing run, sealing the set 25-13 on a kill to take the early match lead
 
Set 2: Lynn, 25-19
- Lynn opened the frame with authority, jumping ahead 3-0 behind kills from Wilson and Alexia Radulovic, followed by a service ace from Zara Rendic to set the early tone
- The Fighting Knights continued to roll, stringing together kills from Rossi, Lillia Neill, and Jackson to build a commanding 11-4 lead, capping an 8-2 start sparked by strong touches and sharp setting from Passerello
- Palm Beach Atlantic trimmed the margin to 15-12 with a pair of kills and a service ace, but Wilson halted the push with her third kill of the set to keep Lynn in control
- After a Lynn timeout at 15-13, the Fighting Knights responded with a composed stretch, using kills from Radulovic and Neill to push the advantage back to 23-17
- PBA attempted one final rally, closing to 24-19, but Lynn closed the door with a decisive kill from Rossi to seal the set
 
Set 3: Lynn, 25-19
- The Blue and White started fast with early kills from Wilson,Passerello, and Radulovic, building a 10-6 advantage after a strong defensive sequence capped by a Neill kill, forcing PBA to take an early timeout
- The Fighting Knights continued rolling out of the break as Rossi and Passerello converted key swings, and Passerello added a service ace to extend the lead to 13-8
- PBA attempted to narrow the gap, but Lynn kept responding with timely side-outs, highlighted by kills from Wilson, Jackson, and Neill to maintain a steady cushion at 18-11
- After a second Sailfish timeout, Lynn stayed composed as Wilson and Radulovic delivered late kills to push the Fighting Knights ahead 23-17, controlling the tempo and limiting extended PBA runs
- Rossi added another kill, and Lynn closed out the frame behind consistent offensive production and a final Wilson kill to secure the 25-19 win
 
Set 4: Palm Beach Atlantic, 25-20
- Palm Beach Atlantic jumped out to a fast 8-3 lead, fueled by early kills along with a service ace that pushed Lynn into an early timeout
- Lynn battled back with kills from Rossi, Neill, and Wilson, cutting the deficit to 12-8, but the Sailfish continued to side out efficiently to stay in front
- PBA extended the lead to 17-11 behind a pair of kills, while Lynn struggled to string together consecutive points despite strong offense from Rossi and Wilson
- A brief Lynn surge, helped by Sailfish attack errors, brought the Blue and White within 22-20, but PBA shut the door with a final 3-0 push to take the set 25-20 and force a decisive fifth frame
 
Set 5: Lynn, 18-16
- Lynn opened the deciding set with a jolt as Jackson delivered a service ace and the Fighting Knights capitalized on a PBA error to jump ahead 2-0 before the Sailfish answered to tie the frame at 2-2
- After trading points to 5-5, PBA surged ahead with three straight kills and a service ace to take a 9-5 lead, forcing Lynn to burn both timeouts early in the set
- Out of the break, the Blue and White mounted a crucial response,  Rendic sparked a 4-0 run with a service ace and Wilson added a kill as Lynn climbed back to 9-9, swiftly erasing the deficit
- The teams traded blows to 13+13, highlighted by key kills from Jackson, Rossi, and Wilson, before Radulovic tied the frame again with a perfectly placed service ace at 15-15
- With the pressure high, Lynn closed the match on a composed 3-1 burst, capped by a Jackson kill and a heads-up point from Passerello, securing the 18-16 victory and sealing the gritty road win
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Rossi and Wilson shared the team lead with 16 kills each, with Wilson hitting an impressive .448 to lead the Lynn offense
- Passerello dished out 46 assists and added 12 digs, posting her third game in a row with 30+ assists.
- Clara Maidantchik anchored the defense with a team-high 18 digs, while Haidyn Spano (11 digs) and Jackson (10 digs) also reached double figures
- Radulovic served a team-high three aces, while Rendic added two as Lynn totaled eight aces on the night
- Lynn posted 55 kills as a team, with three different players tallying 7+ kills (Wilson 16, Rossi 16, Neill 7)
- Lynn's offense finished the night hitting .186 as a team, fueled by steady production from Wilson, Rossi and Neill across all five sets
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights close out the 2025 regular season on the road at Saint Leo on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m.