MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Palm Beach Atlantic volleyball team began its final nonconference tournament of the 2024 season on Friday at the Warhawk Invitational hosted by Auburn Montgomery. PBA played a pair of matches on Friday, facing off against the hosting Warhawks before taking on Shorter.

The Sailfish started the day strong, winning their match against AUM 3-1 after strong performances from outside hitters Sydney Corbett and Abbie Zylstra. PBA hit a season-best .199 in the match to defeat AUM to start the day. The Sailfish continued their momentum into the second match of the day against Shorter. The 'Fish held the Hawks to a .000 hitting percentage, leading to a 3-0 sweep.

"I appreciate the growth we are committed to as a program right now," PBA head coach Jeff Huebner said. "Jayna played two clean matches and did a good job making adjustments for our defensive success."

PBA concludes nonconference play on Saturday with a match against Arkansas Tech and another match against Shorter.

Match One – PBA: 3, AUM: 1

The Sailfish found themselves tied with the Warhawks at 14 in the first set. Two unforced errors by AUM, a kill by Corbett, and a block from Kaileigh Ammons and Addison Chapman gave the 'Fish an 18-15 advantage. PBA had a balanced attack down the stretch with Corbett, Gabi Ashcraft, Ammons, Chapman, Giulia Santuari, and Harper Stokes picking up kills to close the set, 25-20.

AUM bounced back to take an early lead in the second set. PBA totaled six unforced attack errors and surrendered three aces in the set. After facing a six-point deficit, Santuair helped the 'Fish get back into the set, cutting the deficit to three, but AUM held on to clinch the set, 25-20.

Things looked bleak for the Sailfish in the third set as the Warhawk's frontline frustrated the PBA attack, helping AUM build a 22-16 lead. The Sailfish ended the set on a 9-0 run including three kills from Zylstra and a solo block from H. Stokes that closed the book on the Warhawks. PBA stole the third set, 25-22, holding AUM to a match-worst .029 hitting percentage
The Sailfish held all the momentum for the fourth set. A 6-0 run with kills from Zylstra, Corbett, and H. Stokes, put the Sailfish ahead 21-10. PBA finished the set with an ace by Savanna Rogers to win 25-15 and clinch the match 3-1.

Corbett led the Sailfish with 17 kills, hitting .196 with 12 digs. Zylstra totaled 13 kills, hitting .250 with nine digs. H. Stokes tallied nine kills, hitting .368 with four blocks. Kelsey Rogers recorded six kills with a .364 hitting percentage and one block. S. Rogers led the 'Fish with 18 assists and nine digs. Anna Beth Stokes added 15 assists with seven digs. Jayna Bredenberg recorded 21 digs as libero.

Match Two – PBA: 3, SU: 0

The Sailfish started strong in the first set, building an 18-11 lead after a 7-2 run with kills from Corbett and Zylstra with a PBA block and two errors by the Hawks. Shorter answered with a 7-1 run, including five unforced mistakes from the Sailfish to make it 19-18 PBA. The Sailfish slammed the door on the Shorter comeback, ending the set on a 6-0 run, including a pair of aces from Ashcraft clinching the set 25-18.

PBA's offense was its most efficient in the second set. The Sailfish hit .171 in the set, totaling 14 kills, nearly all 14 coming from the trio of A. Stokes, Corbett, and Ammons. Corbett's final kill of the set put an exclamation point on the 25-21 win to give PBA a 2-0 lead.

The Hawks led 11-10 early in the third set, but PBA was determined to get the sweep. A 9-0 run including four unforced errors by the Hawks helped the Sailfish build a 19-11 lead. Shorter cut the deficit to five, but PBA kept the Hawks at arms-length, sealing the set 25-17 after a pair of kills by A. Stokes.

"Savanna did a nice job in a 5-1 for us, organizing and lifting her teammates," Huebner said. "Kelsey played her best two matches as a Fish and executed well as a blocker for our team"

Corbett led the Sailfish offense with 11 kills and five digs. A. Stokes finished with nine kills, hitting .174 with one dig. Zylstra recorded seven kills and seven digs. S. Rogers led PBA with 28 assists, six digs, and three blocks. Bredenberg tallied a team-high 11 digs as libero.

"Sydney's development as a leader today turned up a notch, which will be critical for our continued development," Huebner said, "Looking forward to two matches tomorrow!"