MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - No. 21 Lynn University volleyball completed a perfect Saturday at the Barry Invitational, sweeping No. 1 St. Cloud State before rallying past Converse in five sets.
The Fighting Knights defeated the nation's top-ranked team, 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-20), before closing the day with a 3-2 victory over Converse to improve to 5-1 on the season.
The Fighting Knights delivered an early-season statement, holding St. Cloud State to a .128 hitting percentage while earning their fourth sweep of the young season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1:
- St. Cloud State responded to take a 6-4 advantage before kills from Rendic and
Lira Pukl Verdel pulled Lynn even at 6-6
- With the score tied at 7-7, the Fighting Knights used a 4-0 run featuring a
Madison Jones - service ace and a Shaw kill to surge ahead, 11-7
Lynn extended its advantage to 15-10 behind consecutive blocks from Shaw and Pukl Verdel and another Shaw kill
- The Huskies pulled within two at 15-13, but back-to-back kills from
Lillia Neill and an
Ella Voorhees service ace helped Lynn push its lead to 20-15
- Pukl Verdel stopped a late St. Cloud State run with a kill before a service error closed out Lynn's 25-20 victory
- The Fighting Knights hit .276 with 11 kills in the opening frame
Set 2:
- Three early kills from Rendic and two from Radulovic helped Lynn build a 7-3 advantage
- A Neill/
Ula Gorjup block pushed the lead to 8-3 and forced an early St. Cloud State timeout
Rendic added two more kills following the break before consecutive kills from Pukl Verdel helped Lynn open an 11-5 advantage
- St. Cloud State battled back to tie the set at 17-17 and again at 20-20
- Radulovic put Lynn back in front with a kill before Shaw and Rendic combined for a block to extend the advantage to 22-20
- Rendic's ninth kill brought the Fighting Knights to set point at 24-21
- After the Huskies fought off two set points, Neill delivered the clinching kill off an assist from Gorjup to secure a 25-23 victory and a 2-0 match lead
Set 3:
- Pukl Verdel opened the third set with a kill as the teams traded momentum through an 8-8 tie
- St. Cloud State used a 5-0 run to grab a 13-8 advantage, its largest lead of the match
- Pukl Verdel responded with three service aces during a 6-0 Lynn run. Rendic and Radulovic added kills as the Fighting Knights turned the deficit into a 14-13 lead
- The Huskies moved back in front, 17-15, but a Neill kill and a Voorhees service ace helped Lynn pull even at 17-17
- With the score tied at 20-20, the Fighting Knights scored the final five points
- Radulovic recorded a kill before Pukl Verdel delivered consecutive kills to close out the 25-20 victory and complete the sweep
- Lynn hit .200 with 14 kills in the final set while holding St. Cloud State to a .184 hitting percentage
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Lynn finished with 40 kills and a .227 hitting percentage while holding St. Cloud State to 34 kills and a .128 hitting percentage
- Pukl Verdel led the Fighting Knights with 12 kills and 16 points while adding three service aces, six digs and two total blocks
- Rendic followed with 11 kills, eight digs and two total blocks
- Radulovic added seven kills and a block assist
- Neill recorded six kills without an attack error on 16 swings, hitting .375 while adding two block assists
- Shaw hit .500 with four kills and led Lynn with four block assists
- Gorjup directed the offense with 31 assists while adding eight digs and a block assist
-
Haidyn Spano anchored the back row with a match-high 18 digs and three assists
- Lynn held advantages in kills (40-34), assists (36-34) and digs (52-47)
- The Fighting Knights held St. Cloud State below a .200 hitting percentage in all three sets
- No. 21 Lynn defeats Converse, 3-2 (23-25, 25-15, 22-25, 25-17, 15-10)
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Lynn capped its Saturday slate with a five-set comeback victory over Converse. The Fighting Knights twice responded after dropping a set and controlled the final two frames to earn their fifth win of the season
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1:
- The teams traded points early before Converse used a 3-0 run to take a 6-3 advantage
- Lynn remained within striking distance, but Converse later extended its lead to 18-13
- The Fighting Knights rallied behind kills from Neill,
Amaya Roberson, Shaw and Pukl Verdel to pull within 22-20
- Rendic followed with a service ace to cut the deficit to 22-21
- Shaw and Neill helped Lynn fight off two set points, but Converse held on for a 25-23 victory
Set 2:
- Lynn responded with a fast start, using kills from Radulovic, Rendic and Neill to build an 8-3 advantage
- Gorjup powered a 5-0 run with a kill and consecutive service aces as the Fighting Knights extended their lead to 17-7
- Pukl Verdel, Rendic, Shaw and Radulovic delivered four consecutive kills to push Lynn's advantage to 21-11
- Neill brought Lynn to set point with a kill before the Fighting Knights closed out a dominant 25-15 victory
- Lynn hit .263 with 15 kills while holding Converse to a .083 hitting percentage in the frame
Set 3:
- The Fighting Knights opened a 4-1 advantage behind kills from Pukl Verdel, Rendic and Radulovic
- Lynn later led 12-10 before Converse scored five consecutive points to move ahead, 15-12
- Facing a 16-13 deficit, consecutive Neill kills, a Rendic service ace and a Pukl Verdel kill fueled a 4-0 run that put Lynn in front, 17-16
The teams battled through ties at 18-18 and 20-20 before Converse scored five of the final seven points to win the set, 25-22
Set 4:
- Lynn established control early, taking a 5-2 lead behind a Neill solo block and kills from Neill and Radulovic
- Pukl Verdel delivered consecutive service aces during a 5-0 run that stretched the advantage to 12-5
- Kills from Radulovic, Neill and Rendic extended Lynn's lead to 16-6
- Shaw and Pukl Verdel helped the Fighting Knights pull away late before Radulovic brought Lynn to set point
- Rendic closed out the 25-17 victory with a kill, forcing a decisive fifth set
Lynn hit .324 with 15 kills in the fourth frame
Set 5:
- Rendic and Pukl Verdel helped Lynn score three of the first four points in the deciding set
- A Gorjup kill and a Converse attack error extended the Fighting Knights' lead to 5-2
- Lynn carried an 8-4 advantage into the changeover and later pushed the margin to 10-5 behind kills from Radulovic and Neill
- Converse pulled within three at 10-7 and again at 12-9, but Lynn never surrendered the lead
- Neill's 17th kill of the match made it 13-10 before Jones delivered a service ace to bring Lynn to match point
- Gorjup sealed the comeback with a solo block, giving the Fighting Knights a 15-10 victory
- Lynn hit .350 with eight kills and just one attack error in the final set
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Lynn totaled 70 kills and hit .247 while holding Converse to 45 kills and a .161 hitting percentage
- Neill led the Fighting Knights with 17 kills and hit .424 while adding three total blocks
- Pukl Verdel posted 16 kills, 10 digs, four assists, two service aces and two block assists
- Radulovic finished with 15 kills, a .367 hitting percentage, five digs and two block assists
- Rendic recorded 11 kills, 11 digs and a match-high five service aces
- Shaw contributed six kills and a match-high five total blocks
- Gorjup directed the offense with 50 assists while adding 10 digs, three kills, two service aces and two total blocks
- Spano led the Fighting Knights with 19 digs and added six assists, while Voorhees collected 13 digs
- Lynn held advantages in kills (70-45), assists (62-41), digs (78-68), service aces (11-7) and total blocks (9-4)
- The Fighting Knights hit .324 in the fourth set and .350 in the fifth to complete the comeback
UP NEXT:
Lynn opens its first homestand of the 2026 season next weekend when the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach gets underway at the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center. The Fighting Knights take the floor on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:00 pm. against Trevecca Nazarene.
