TAMPA, Fla. - Lynn volleyball delivered a resilient postseason performance on Thursday morning, erasing multiple deficits and closing in emphatic fashion to defeat UAH in five sets (25-17, 24-26, 21-25, 25-23, 15-3) in the opening round of the NCAA South Regional at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center in Tampa. After seeing a 1-0 match lead slip away, the Fighting Knights showed poise and grit down the stretch, rallying late in the fourth set before authoring a dominant fifth-set performance to secure their spot in the regional semifinals.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1: Lynn, 25-17
- Lynn opened the match with early balance offensively, as Alexia Radulovic and Lillia Neill each registered kills off strong distribution from Ula Gorjup to keep the opening stretch tight
- After trading points through the first several rallies, the Fighting Knights created separation behind a strong service run from Radulovic, highlighted by a service ace and a block assist from Gorjup and Laney Wilson to push Lynn in front 7-4
- UAH responded briefly to level the score at 7-7, but Lynn quickly regained momentum as Nadia Rossi sparked the offense with back-to-back kills out of the back row to reclaim the lead
- Brooke Jackson and Neill continued to apply pressure at the net while the Lynn block forced multiple Charger attack errors to extend the advantage to 19-15
- Zara Rendic delivered the decisive sequence at the service line, tallying two aces and helping fuel a 5-0 run that stretched the Lynn lead to 22-15 and forced consecutive UAH timeouts
- Joelle Alexander knocked in a service ace and Lynn closed the frame moments later as Jackson finished a clean swing to give the Fighting Knights a commanding 25-17 opening-set victory

Set 2: UAH, 26-24
- UAH jumped out to a quick 4-0 advantage behind early kills and a service ace, forcing Lynn to settle in offensively
- The Fighting Knights answered with a strong response sparked by Rendic, who delivered multiple kills during a 6-1 run, while Wilson and Radulovic teamed up on consecutive blocks to pull Lynn even at 6-6
- After several momentum swings through the middle portion of the set, Jackson and Rendic continued to anchor the Lynn attack, keeping the frame tight as the teams traded points into the late stages
- Lynn showed poise down the stretch, climbing back to even the score at 18-18 behind a key kill from Wilson and defensive pressure at the net that forced UAH errors
- With the set knotted at 23-23, Alexander stepped to the service line and delivered a clutch ace to help Lynn seize late momentum before the teams pushed into extra points
- The Chargers ultimately closed out the set in overtime, edging Lynn 26-24 to even the match despite a balanced offensive effort from the Fighting Knights

Set 3: UAH, 25-21
- The third set featured tight, back-and-forth play early, with Lynn finding offense through Radulovic, Rendic, and Jackson to stay within striking distance
- UAH gained a slight edge midway behind efficient attacking and timely blocks, but the Fighting Knights responded to pull even at 16-16
- Lynn continued to trade points late as Rendic and Wilson delivered key kills, keeping the set close into the final stretch
- The Chargers closed with a late surge, securing consecutive points to pull away and claim the third set, 25-21

Set 4: Lynn, 25-23
- UAH controlled much of the fourth set, building steady momentum through efficient attacking and moving out to a late 22-20 advantage as the Chargers looked to close out the match
- Lynn stayed within reach behind contributions from Rossi and Radulovic, but UAH continued to apply pressure into the closing points
- Trailing late, the Blue and White responded with urgency, turning up their defensive intensity and finding timely offense from Rossi and Rendic to spark a crucial rally
- Lynn strung together five of the final six points, capitalizing on Charger errors while Wilson and Rossi delivered clutch kills to swing momentum fully back to the Blue and White
- Rendic's steady presence at the service line proved pivotal in the final stretch, and Wilson put the finishing touch on the comeback with a decisive kill to secure a 25-23 set win and send the match to a fifth set

Set 5: Lynn, 15-3
- Lynn seized control of the decisive fifth set from the opening serve, capitalizing on UAH errors to race out to an early 4-1 advantage
- The Fighting Knights continued to apply pressure defensively, as Radulovic and Neill anchored the block to fuel an extended scoring run that forced two early Charger timeouts
- Rendic and Radulovic paced the Lynn attack during the middle stretch, helping the Blue and White stretch the lead to 12-3 with clean execution at the net
- Refusing to let momentum slip, Lynn stayed aggressive down the stretch, with Wilson delivering a key kill to set up match point
- The match was sealed moments later as UAH committed an attack error, lifting Lynn to a dominant 15-3 victory in the final set and securing the Fighting Knights' first-round win in the NCAA South Regional

FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- The Fighting Knights out-hit the Chargers .197 to .112 for the match, finishing with 62 kills on 178 attempts
- Lynn recorded a decisive edge at the net, totaling 16 block assists compared to UAH's 12
- Rendic led all players with 16 kills, while Jackson (13), Radulovic (10), and Wilson (9) provided balanced scoring support
- Jackson (13 kills, 17 digs) and Rendic (16 kills, 16 digs) both tallied double-doubles in the match, proving vital to Lynn's offensive success
- Gorjup directed the offense with 33 assists while Hope Passerello chipped in 21 as Lynn surpassed UAH in total points (77.0–54.0)
- Lynn's best offensive stretch came in the decisive fifth set, hitting .333 while holding UAH to a negative attack percentage to seal the comeback win

UP NEXT:
Lynn now advances to the NCAA South Regional Second Round where the Fighting Knights will face off with a familiar SSC foe in either (2) Barry or (7) Eckerd on Friday, Dec. 5 at 4:00 pm.