Upstate Falls in Four Sets to North Florida
10/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Jacksonville, Fla. – The USC Upstate volleyball team received double-doubles from Kayla Eversgerd, Lexi Gober and Alexa Lagaly Friday evening as the Spartans dropped a four-set decision, 3-1, to the North Florida Ospreys at UNF Arena.
Upstate fell by scores of 13-25, 23-25, 28-26, 18-25.
The duo of Eversgerd and Gober increased their season double-double totals Friday night. Eversgerd led the team with 15 kills and 27 digs. Gober chipped in 36 assists and 20 digs. Lagaly contributed her first career double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs. Amanda Carroll and Morgan Page also added double-figure digs to the effort.
North Florida began the match by capturing the first set 25-13. The Spartans kept the score close through the opening points trailing 8-5 after a kill by Shannon Weiss. Following the kill by Weiss, UNF went on a 7-0 run to lead 15-5 following Abby Fesl's kill. The Ospreys extended their lead to 20-8, and maintained it the rest of the way en route to a 25-13 set win.
Upstate kept the second set close as it never trailed by more than four points. The first 10 points were split by both teams as the score sat at 5-5 after North Florida's Saelina Dunn registered a kill. The Ospreys then posted a 5-2 run to lead 10-7, but the Spartans later tied the set at 12-12 following Dunn's attack error. UNF stretched its lead to 20-16 after an attack error by Eversgerd. Trailing 23-19, Upstate reeled off four straight points to tie the set at 23-23. North Florida, however, would win the set 25-23 after picking up the last two points courtesy of Dunn and Morgan Van Alstine.
The Spartans responded in the third set to win in extra points, 28-26, and cut their match deficit to two sets to one. The set featured a total of eight ties and four lead changes as Emily Koelling led the offensive attack with five kills on nine attempts. Upstate got off to a quick start in the opening points taking a 6-2 lead. The Ospreys came back to tie the set at 12-12 following Kayla Fessler's service ace, and later took an 18-15 lead. The Spartans would tie the set at 23 apiece and then the two teams traded points until Upstate held a 27-26 lead. A ball handling error by Van Alstine would give the Spartans the set victory.
North Florida earned the match victory following a 25-18 win in the fourth set that consisted of seven more ties. The set was even during a majority of the opening points as the teams split the first 14 points. Weiss' service ace later tied the set at 11-11, but UNF would end on a 14-7 run to win the set and match.
Anna Budinska led all North Florida players with a double-double on 20 kills and 12 digs.
Upstate returns to action Saturday, Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. as it takes on the Jacksonville Dolphins.
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