Lynn University

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - No. 13 Lynn volleyball put the finishing touches on a dominant road weekend Saturday afternoon, soaring past Embry-Riddle in straight sets, 25-19, 25-18, 25-19, inside the ICI Center.
 
The Fighting Knights overwhelmed the Eagles with a balanced attack and relentless pressure from the service line, finishing with 47 kills and 10 aces while hitting .282. Lynn held Embry-Riddle to just 28 kills and a .157 hitting percentage en route to its second sweep in as many days.
 
The victory extends Lynn's winning streak to five matches and improves the Fighting Knights to 13-2 overall and 5-1 in Sunshine State Conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One: Lynn 25, Embry-Riddle 19
- The two sides traded punches early as the opening frame featured ties at 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and 6-6
- Lynn finally created separation at the net as Lillia Neill teamed with Ula Gorjup for a block before Neill followed with a solo rejection to give the Fighting Knights an 8-6 edge
- Gorjup put away a kill to make it 9-7 before the match completely shifted when Madison Jones stepped behind the service line
- The Fighting Knight senior ripped off four consecutive service aces, turning a two-point advantage into a commanding 13-7 lead in a matter of moments
- Lynn continued applying pressure from there, with Alexia Radulovic, Zara Rendic, Lira Pukl Verdel and Audrey Shaw all finding the floor as the advantage grew to 23-17
- Shaw delivered another kill to bring up set point before Radulovic slammed the door at 25-19
- Lynn hit .345 in the opening frame while holding the Eagles to .154
 
Set Two: Lynn 25, Embry-Riddle 18
- The Fighting Knights wasted no time taking control of the second, racing ahead 5-1 behind kills from Pukl Verdel, Radulovic and Neill
- Embry-Riddle attempted to settle in, but Lynn's attack continued coming from everywhere
- Neill and Gorjup combined for four kills during another surge that pushed the lead to 11-6
- The Eagles fought their way back within two at 14-12, but Pukl Verdel immediately answered with a kill before following it with an ace
- Embry-Riddle made one final push and closed within 19-18, setting the stage for an emphatic Lynn response
- Neill sparked the charge with a kill before Pukl Verdel took over down the stretch
- The Fighting Knights scored the final six points of the set, with Pukl Verdel hammering three kills during the run and Rendic adding an ace as Lynn stormed to a 25-18 victory
- Lynn's offense was nearly unstoppable in the frame, pounding 22 kills with just three errors on 42 attempts for a .452 hitting percentage
 
Set Three: Lynn 25, Embry-Riddle 19
- Embry-Riddle battled to keep its afternoon alive, but Lynn refused to allow the Eagles to build any sustained momentum
- With Lynn leading 8-7, Pukl Verdel delivered consecutive kills to stretch the advantage to three
- Gorjup later provided another spark, following an Embry-Riddle attacking error with an ace to push the Fighting Knights in front 13-8
- The Eagles clawed back within two at 17-15, but Lynn had another decisive run waiting
- Rendic delivered a kill and followed with an ace before three consecutive Embry-Riddle attacking errors sent the Fighting Knights surging ahead 22-16
- A service error moved Lynn within two points of the sweep before Jones fired her fifth ace of the afternoon to bring up match point at 24-17
- Embry-Riddle survived twice, but Gorjup put an exclamation point on her milestone afternoon by hammering home the final kill for a 25-19 victory and Lynn's second straight road sweep
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Gorjup reached a major career milestone in the victory, surpassing 2,000 career assists as a Fighting Knight
- She currently sits at 2,009 assists following Saturday's match and ranks fifth all-time in Lynn history
- The reigning SSC Setter of the Week finished the afternoon with 36 assists, five kills, five digs, two aces and a block, while hitting .714 with five kills on seven error-free attacks
- Neill turned in a dominant performance in the middle, tying for the match lead with 11 kills while committing just one error on 20 swings for a blistering .500 hitting percentage
- Neill also controlled the net defensively with a match-high four blocks and finished with 14 points
- Pukl Verdel joined Neill with 11 kills while adding seven digs, three assists and an ace
- Radulovic continued her efficient weekend with nine kills and just one error on 17 attacks, hitting .471
- Shaw was nearly flawless offensively, putting away six kills without an error on 11 swings for a .545 hitting percentage
- Clara Maidantchik anchored the defense with a match-high 16 digs
- Jones was electric from the service line, firing a match-high five aces, including four during a first-set surge
- Lynn held commanding advantages in kills (47-28), assists (45-25), aces (10-3) and digs (48-41)
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights return home for a quick turnaround, hosting Nova Southeastern on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 7:00 pm inside of the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center.