Box Score (.pdf)

Jacksonville, Fla. – The USC Upstate volleyball team fell to the Jacksonville Dolphins 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 17-25, 28-30) Friday evening in A-Sun action from Swisher Gym.

Upstate falls to 15-14 overall and 3-10 in the conference, while Jacksonville improves to 11-14 on the year and 8-5 in league play.

Kayla Eversgerd, Madison Haake and Lexi Gober each had double-doubles to lead the Spartans on Friday. Eversgerd recorded a team-high 15 kills for Upstate to go with 26 digs, while Haake added 10 kills and 15 digs. Gober contributed 28 assists and 11 digs, and Emily Koelling tallied 11 kills.

Emily Laskelle led all JU players with a double-double of 27 kills and 13 digs, and was joined by Jizzyan Gesualdo at 45 assists and 17 digs. Mayara Prestes recorded a match-high 35 digs while Jessica Armstrong collected 10 kills.

The Spartans fell behind 3-1 to start the first set before rallying with a 10-6 run to lead 11-9 on Gober's service ace. The Dolphins answered back to take the lead at 15-14 with Laskelle's kill, leading to a stretch of 11 straight plays with both teams exchanging points. Following an Upstate timeout after JU tied the set 20-20, the Spartans rallied off three straight points to go in front 23-20. Upstate held off a late Jacksonville rally to win 25-23 and go up 1-0 in the match.

The Dolphins held a 6-4 lead early in the second half and the Spartans stayed within two several plays later when Haake's kill trimmed the Upstate deficit to 10-8. Jacksonville broke the set open courtesy of a 9-4 run to go in front 19-12 after Gesualdo's kill. A Spartan attack error gave the Dolphins the 25-19 set two win to even the match at 1-1.

Jacksonville scored four straight points to open the third set and led 11-4 after a service ace by Cristina Finan. The Dolphins stretched their lead out to 18-12 midway on Ana Nieto-Gomez's kill. Upstate attempted a late rally by cutting its deficit down to 20-15 after a bad set by Gesualdo. Laskelle scored the final two points to give JU the 25-17 victory in the third set.

The Spartans split the first 10 points of the fourth set with Jacksonville before going ahead 7-5 following back-to-back kills by Eversgerd and Brianna Tellschow. Upstate led by as many as four, 12-8, after Koelling picked up a solo block. The Dolphins used a 6-2 run midway in the frame to even the score at 14-14, which began a string of three ties over the next five plays. The Spartans fought back from three down to lead 22-21 on a combination block from Eversgerd and Koelling. Jacksonville captured the set 30-28, and match 3-1, on an Upstate service error and service ace by Kelly Koop.

The Spartans conclude their regular season Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. against North Florida.

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