WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic volleyball team concluded play at the South Region Crossover on Saturday, facing off against the Eagles from Shorter University.
After dropping the first set against SU, the Sailfish roared back with vengeance, taking the second set, 25-4. PBA never looked back for the rest of the match, winning the contest 3-1. Today's win ended a perfect 3-0 performance at the tournament for the Sailfish. PBA has yet to lose a match in the Crossover since it started in 2015.
Alyse Cundiff and Jazz Schmidt led the Sailfish attack with 12 kills each. Cundiff hit .409 with seven digs with Schmidt hitting .243 while adding 15 assists and five blocks to her stat line. Amber Rowoldt and Anna Gregerson finished with seven kills each. Rowoldt totaled 10 digs while Gregerson led PBA with eight blocks. Alyssa Avitia tallied a double-double, leading the 'Fish in assists (19) and digs (13). Libero Ally Smith finished with 12 digs while freshman Lauren Cummings totaled four service aces and two digs.
Two separate runs allowed the Eagles to take the first set. A 7-2 run with three blocks from Shorter gave the Eagles a 13-7 lead. PBA attempted to battle back into the match, staying within striking distance until Shorter ended the set on a 5-1 run to win 25-18. The Sailfish hit .128 in the first set, their worst performance of the match.
The Sailfish dominated the second set against Shorter. With PBA leading 5-1, Cummings subbed in to serve for the 'Fish. She served for 16 straight PBA points, including all four of her four aces in the match. PBA recorded four blocks during the run including a trio of kills from Cundiff and a pair of kills from Schmidt and Gregerson to take a 21-1 lead in the set. A kill from Gregerson and a kill from Cundiff ended a 25-4 set win for PBA. The 'Fish hit a match-best .526 in the set. The Sailfish defense did not allow a single kill from Shorter in the second.
PBA kept its momentum rolling in the third set. An 11-2 run with three Sailfish blocks and aces from Cundiff and Smith gave the 'Fish a 15-9 lead. Shorter tried to hang around with a 3-1 run to make it 16-12, but PBA ended the set on a 9-0 run, including kills from Maddy Hooper and Schmidt, an ace from Rowoldt, and two ball handling errors for Shorter. The Sailfish took the third 25-12 while hitting .200 and holding the Eagles to a .033 hitting percentage.
After the Sailfish jumped to a 12-8 lead in the fourth set, Shorter was desperate to stay alive going on a 9-0 run to take a 17-12 lead with hopes to force a fifth set. The Sailfish responded with a 10-1 run with kills from Rowoldt, Schmidt, and Cundiff while taking advantage of several unforced errors by the Eagles to take a 22-18 lead. PBA clinched the match by winning the fourth set 25-19.
PBA out hit Shorter in the match, .223-.057. The Sailfish totaled 15 aces compared to just five for the Eagles.
The Sailfish resume their SSC schedule next weekend with matches against Embry-Riddle and Rollins. The match on Friday against ERAU takes place a 7 p.m. at Rubin Arena.
