CEDARVILLE, Ohio- After needing only the minimum six sets to breeze past their pair of opponents on Friday afternoon at the opening day of the Cedarville Invitational, the Palm Beach Atlantic University volleyball team would need an even better effort on Saturday as they took on both Cedarville University and Saint Joseph’s College. In the end, the Fish fought back from the challenges of both teams while winning both matches by a 3-1 tally.

Finishing the tournament 4-0 while remaining undefeated on the season at 8-0, the Sailfish two senior members, Kristin Carroll and Jennifer Eldridge, accepted the Tournament Championship plaque after the conclusion of their final match against SJC. Also during the post-tournament festivities was the awarding of Mariela Quesada and Janeen McCormick to the All-Tournament team with Quesada taking home Tournament MVP honors.

Against Cedarville in the 9:30 a.m. match, the Fish and Jackets renewed an old rivalry which saw the two programs previously meet numerous times at the NCCAA National Championships.

Having defeated Palm Beach Atlantic in the 2006 NCCAA Championship match, the Fish were able to exact a form of revenge on the new-look Yellowjackets by shaking off a tough first-set loss and then defeating CU the next three sets to earn the victory.

Quesada was unstoppable at times during the match as the Jackets struggled to slow down the sophomore from San Jose, Costa Rica. She would finish with match-high honors of 14 kills while freshman Christina Alessi also posted a solid showing against CU with 10 kills and only one hitting error while hitting at a .600 clip overall.

Jessica Way stayed steady at the setter position with 42 assists while adding in seven digs and two service aces as the team connected for a .327 overall hitting percentage.

Junior Allie Warren would have a busy day at the libero position with 12 digs in the opening match to lead the defensive efforts of the Fish. McCormick and Eldridge continued their good run during the tournament as well with nine and eight kills respectively.

Kylee Husak and Lauren Gill both proven pesky as the two Yellowjacket players registered 14 and 13 kills respectively to lead Cedarville in the four-set match.

Against the Pumas of Saint Joseph’s College, the Fish would have to not only fight off fatigue from their fourth match in two days but would also be forced to play with only a short break in between their two matches.

In what would be a match filled with offensive runs by both teams, the Fish got off to a slow start in set one against SJC as they fell behind 20-13. Roaring back came the Blue and White however, taking the set by a final tally of 27-25 for a big early victory.

A very athletic team at all positions, the Pumas would claw their way back into the match with a pivotal 25-23 set win at number two while evening things up at 1-1 in the match.

Although it took a determined effort, the Sailfish were able to fight through the final two sets, earning 25-19 and 25-23 victories to claim the Tournament Championship.

Quesada once again paced the Sailfish attack with 15 kills while Eldridge and McCormick each came through with double-digit kill totals as well with 12 and 10 kills respectively.

Allie Warren led a solid defensive effort for PBA with a career-high 29 digs as one of five players to reach double-digits in the defensive category. Eldridge reached a double-double with 13 digs while Way posted 15 digs in addition to 42 more assists for the junior setter.

Newcomers Jessie Kubiak and Katie Lindstrom both gave the team a lift with their defensive play by collecting 14 and 11 digs each. McCormick added to her resume with a great game at the net with two solo blocks and three block assists.

After a busy weekend in the Midwest, the Sailfish will now head home to South Florida to begin preparations for a three-game road trip next week. The Fish will take on Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, Florida on Tuesday, September 14th at 7 p.m. while taking on Northwood University and Southeastern University on the road later in the week.

Cedarville University Head Volleyball Coach Doug Walters Poses with PBA Seniors Jennifer Eldridge and Kristin Carroll While Holding the CU Invitational Championship Plaque. Photo Courtesy of: Michael Brown.