Box Score (.pdf)

Jacksonville, Fla. – Kayla McAvoy and Kayla Eversgerd each recorded a team-high seven kills for USC Upstate Friday night as the Spartans fell 3-0 to the Jacksonville Dolphins in A-Sun action from Swisher Gymnasium.

Upstate falls to 9-13 overall and 0-6 in the league, while Jacksonville improves to 10-10 on the season and 2-4 in conference play.

Eversgerd also led the Spartans with 13 digs while Lexi Gober and Shannon Weiss chipped in nine and eight, respectively. Rebecca Shearer dished out a team-high 21 assists.

Sammie Strausbaugh recorded a double-double for the Dolphins with a match-high 17 kills to go with 12 digs. Jizzian Gesualdo had 28 assists and Rachel Miller added 16 digs.

Jacksonville recorded the opening three points of the first set on back-to-back kills by Strausbaugh, giving it a 3-0 lead. Upstate answered with three straight points of its own to tie the set at 3-3 on a kill by Weiss and two JU attack errors. The Dolphins took the lead back on the next play and held it until a combination block by Eversgerd and Emily Koelling made it 9-9. The Spartans took their first lead of the set, 10-9, off a Strausbaugh attack error, and Shearer contributed a service ace the following play to extend their lead to two. Jacksonville rallied to take a 15-11 lead after going on a 6-2 run. Upstate was only able to get to within three as a kill by Koelling made the score 16-13. The Dolphins outscored the Spartans 9-3 after that to win the opening set 25-16.

The teams traded the first 10 points of the second set as Upstate held an early 5-3 lead on a kill from Eversgerd, but Jacksonville answered with the next two points to tie the score 5-5. The Dolphins added four consecutive points after that to increase their lead to 9-5 on an attack error by Eversgerd. The Spartans picked up three of the next four points as kills by McAvoy, Koelling and Dominique Arnold cut their deficit to 10-8. JU broke the set open midway with a 9-2 run as Emily Laskelle gave Jacksonville a 19-10 advantage with her kill. A kill by Kelly Koop gave the Dolphins a 25-15 set victory, increasing their lead to 2-0 in the match.

Jacksonville began the third set on a 6-2 run, only to see Upstate even things up at 8-8 on a kill by Alexa Lagaly. After the Dolphins pushed their lead out to 13-10, the Spartans answered with two straight kills by Eversgerd and Lagaly to make it 14-13. Upstate stayed within three for the next several plays until it took a 17-16 lead off of Eversgerd's kill. JU captured the next five points to take the lead back 21-17 after three Spartan errors. Strausbaugh gave the Dolphins the 25-20 win in set three with her kill.

The Spartans stay in Jacksonville tomorrow as they head to North Florida to face the Ospreys at 3 p.m.

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