Lynn University

LAKELAND, Fla. - No. 10 Lynn volleyball continued its red-hot run through the Sunshine State Conference on Friday night, overcoming a second-set setback to power past Florida Southern in four sets, 25-17, 20-25, 25-19, 25-17, inside Jenkins Field House.
 
The Fighting Knights unleashed a relentless offensive attack, hammering 62 kills on a .338 hitting percentage while holding the Moccasins to just 41 kills. After splitting the opening two frames, Lynn took complete control, using a dominant third-set surge and an explosive fourth-set performance to put the match away.
 
Lillia Neill and Lira Pukl Verdel led the offensive charge with 15 kills apiece, while Alexia Radulovic delivered a spectacular performance with 12 kills on a blistering .579 hitting percentage. Ula Gorjup directed the offense with 50 assists and six kills of her own as the Fighting Knights overwhelmed Florida Southern down the stretch.
 
The victory marks Lynn's ninth consecutive win, improving the Fighting Knights to 17-2 overall and 9-1 in SSC play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One: Lynn 25, Florida Southern 17
- Lynn wasted little time establishing its offensive rhythm as Radulovic delivered two early kills to help the Fighting Knights build a 4-2 advantage
- Neill followed with a kill before Ella Voorhees stepped behind the service line and completely changed the complexion of the opening frame
- Leading 5-3, the Fighting Knights erupted for a four-point run, highlighted by three service aces from Voorhees and a Pukl Verdel kill to extend the advantage to 9-3
- Florida Southern battled back with four consecutive points to cut Lynn's lead to 12-10, but the Fighting Knights immediately answered
- Radulovic delivered back-to-back kills before a Moc setting error pushed Lynn ahead 16-10
- Neill and Zara Rendic continued the offensive onslaught as Lynn maintained control, with Rendic adding an ace to make it 21-16
- Pukl Verdel took over late, hammering consecutive kills to bring Lynn to set point at 24-17
- Gorjup and Audrey Shaw then combined for a block to seal the 25-17 victory
- Lynn was nearly unstoppable offensively, recording 16 kills on .414 hitting in the opening frame
 
Set Two: Florida Southern 25, Lynn 20
- Florida Southern responded with a furious start to the second set, scoring the first six points behind three service aces
- Lynn refused to fold, as consecutive kills from Rendic and a block from Rendic and Neill helped the Fighting Knights trim the deficit to 7-4.
- The Mocs maintained their advantage through the middle stages, eventually extending their lead to 14-8
- Pukl Verdel and Radulovic answered with consecutive kills to pull Lynn within three at 14-11, but Florida Southern continued to respond
- Trailing 20-14, the Fighting Knights mounted one final charge behind Neill, who delivered two kills before Gorjup added another to cut the deficit to 20-18
- The Mocs answered with four consecutive points to reach set point at 24-18
- A block from Rendic and Neill, followed by another Gorjup kill, kept Lynn alive before Florida Southern closed out the frame, 25-20
- Despite the setback, Lynn continued its efficient offensive performance with 15 kills on .382 hitting
 
Set Three: Lynn 25, Florida Southern 19
- With the match tied at one set apiece, the Fighting Knights came out determined to regain control
- Pukl Verdel delivered consecutive kills to give Lynn a 6-3 advantage, but Florida Southern answered with four straight points to move ahead 7-6
- The teams continued trading blows before the Mocs used a three-point run to build an 11-8 lead
- Lynn responded with a momentum-shifting surge as Shaw and Pukl Verdel combined for a block
- Madison Jones delivered a service ace and a Florida Southern attacking error pushed the Fighting Knights ahead 12-11
- Gorjup then sparked another crucial stretch, recording a kill and a service ace before a Mocs attacking error extended Lynn's lead to 15-12
- With Lynn leading 17-14, the Fighting Knights unleashed a decisive four-point run, highlighted by a Neill-Rendic block, a Radulovic kill and a Maidantchik service ace to stretch the advantage to 21-14
- Radulovic continued to deliver down the stretch before Gorjup added a kill to bring Lynn to set point at 24-17
- Florida Southern fought off two set points, but Pukl Verdel slammed home the finishing kill to secure the 25-19 victory
- Lynn's defensive pressure proved decisive as the Fighting Knights held the Moccasins to a .048 hitting percentage in the frame
 
Set Four: Lynn 25, Florida Southern 17
- With the finish line in sight, Lynn delivered an emphatic response to an early Florida Southern point, erupting for a five-point run behind kills from Radulovic, Rendic and Neill to seize a 5-2 advantage
- A block from Radulovic and Neill, followed by a Mocs attacking error, extended the lead to 7-2 and forced Florida Southern into an early hole
- Rendic continued to shine, delivering consecutive kills to push Lynn ahead 9-4 before Neill and Rendic helped extend the advantage to 11-5
- Florida Southern attempted to fight back with four consecutive points, cutting the deficit to 11-9, but the Fighting Knights refused to surrender control
- Shaw answered with a kill before Pukl Verdel and Gorjup combined for a three-point stretch, highlighted by a Gorjup ace, to extend the lead to 15-10
- Radulovic took over moments later, delivering back-to-back kills before Shaw added another and a Moccasins setting error pushed Lynn ahead 19-11
- Maidantchik fired another service ace to make it 21-12 as the Fighting Knights closed in on their eighth consecutive victory
- Neill delivered consecutive kills to push Lynn ahead 23-14 before Rendic hammered home another to bring the Fighting Knights to match point at 24-15
- Florida Southern fought off two match points, but Gorjup delivered the final blow with a kill to complete the 25-17 victory and seal the four-set triumph
- Lynn closed the match with 18 kills in the fourth set, completing another impressive Sunshine State Conference road victory
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Neill delivered a tremendous all-around performance with 15 kills on .452 hitting, committing just one error on 31 attacks while adding a team-high five block assists
- Pukl Verdel matched Neill with 15 kills, adding 12 digs, three assists and a block assist
- Radulovic was nearly unstoppable offensively, hammering 12 kills with just one error on 19 attempts for an incredible .579 hitting percentage
- Gorjup orchestrated Lynn's high-powered attack with 50 assists, averaging 12.50 assists per set, while adding six kills on 11 error-free swings for a .545 hitting percentage
- Gorjup also contributed two service aces, three digs and two total blocks
- Rendic recorded 10 kills, 10 digs and four block assists, finishing with a double-double
- Shaw contributed four kills on .444 hitting and two block assists
- Maidantchik anchored the back row with a match-high 19 digs while adding two service aces
- Voorhees collected 11 digs and a match-high three service aces, with all three aces coming during a pivotal first-set run
- Haidyn Spano and Ivy Westfall each added five digs
- Lynn dominated the statistical battle, holding advantages in kills (62-41), assists (60-38), digs (70-52) and blocks (8-5)
- The Fighting Knights finished with a .338 hitting percentage, recording 62 kills against just 15 errors on 139 attempts
- Lynn hit above .300 in each of the first three sets, including a match-best .414 in the opening frame
 
UP NEXT:
Lynn faces their toughest test thus far, heading to No. 3 Tampa on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 4:00 pm to close out the weekend stretch.