WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Palm Beach Atlantic came into the 2014 season ranked No. 25 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and were excited to get the Hyatt Place Sunshine Classic underway on Friday. The Sailfish opened the Classic with a 3-0 win over Kentucky State University and then came back in the marquee matchup with Quincy University to win 3-1.

GAME ONE
PBA dominated from the beginning against the Thoroughbrettes, getting an ace from senior Becca Acevedo to start the match. The ‘Fish would maintain their advantage for the entire match, committing just two attack errors en route to a 25-13 victory. Palm Beach Atlantic ended the first set with an impressive .333 attack percentage.

Set two was more of the same for the Sailfish, jumping out to an early 10-2 lead that eventually swelled to a 19-5 advantage. PBA rode five services aces and a .303 attack percentage to a 25-12 win.

The final set saw huge production from the middle blockers. Sophomore Emma Ballantyne and freshman Sarah Ragland would combine for nine kills on 14 total attacks with just one error. The ‘Fish would hit .406 as a team on the way to a 25-14 win and 3-0 triumph.

For the match as a whole, Faith Rohn was the only Sailfish to finish with double-digit kills with 10. Emma Ballantyne finished with nine, and Ragland finished with seven and a .667 attack percentage. The defense, which has become a staple of PBA’s game, was solid as always with Rachael Holehouse having 16 digs and Rohn contributing 10 as well. PBA also had 13 services aces, with rookie Susie Forbes collecting four to lead the way.

GAME TWO
The headliner for day one of the Hyatt Place Sunshine Classic did not disappoint the fans, with Palm Beach Atlantic coming away with an exciting 3-1 victory.

After an impressive 25-20 victory in the first set, which PBA hit .310 in, the Hawks battled back to take set two 26-24 while holding the ‘Fish to a .022 attack percentage.

Set three provided the drama on the night, with Quincy erasing a five point deficit late in the match to take a 20-19 lead. After an attack error tied the score, Emma Ballantyne scorched an ace to give the home team the lead and then Sarah Ragland took over. The freshman got the kill on the final three points of the set to give PBA a hard-fought 25-23 win.

The final set was close, but Palm Beach Atlantic led Quincy for most of the way, with the visiting Hawks only tying the score twice. Offensively the Sailfish saved their best for last, hitting .394 in the final frame.

Overall, no numbers stood out individually because it was such a team effort for the ‘Fish on Friday night. The team-high in kills was Faith Rohn, who finished with 16. Joining her in double-digits were Sarah Ragland (15) and Katie Ballantyne (12). The defensive effort was equally balanced, with four players finishing in double-digits. Rachael Holehouse led the way with 22, while Faith Rohn added 13, Melissa Buckingham 12, and Susie Forbes 11.

Palm Beach Atlantic gets set for Day Two of the Hyatt Place Sunshine Classic, which continues for the hosts against the University of Bridgeport at 3 PM Saturday afternoon. They’ll once again follow up the matinee performance with the evening show against Barton College, slated for 7 PM.