MELBOURNE, Fla. — Florida Tech defeated the Palm Beach Atlantic volleyball team in four sets, 14-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22, at the Clemente Center. 

Both team's entered the match ranked in this week's South Region rankings. PBA entered the match at No. 4 with Tech following in 10th. Despite a strong start in the first set, the Sailfish were unable to sustain their momentum. The team recorded 56 kills and 75 digs, but Tech's 10 service aces proved pivotal in the match's outcome.

Grace Reynolds finished with a double-double of 43 assists, added 16 digs, and four kills.. Nae Jordan contributed significantly with 13 kills and four block assists, finishing with 15 points. Harper Stokes recorded nine kills on an efficient .444 hitting percentage, along with three block assists. Maggie Patterson made a defensive impact with 15 digs, supporting the team's back row efforts. Kaley Board finished with nine kills, hitting .214. Kelsey Roger tallied five blocks and seven kills.

"Tough match tonight," PBA head coach Jeff Huebner said. "We started the match with great aggression and failed to carry it into the 2nd set. Nae was great wire to wire, and her competitiveness really put us in a great position to win. Savanna Rogers and Brighten Sedmack were both really good off the bench for us and performed really well in tight spots."

The Sailfish opened the match assertively with a strong 5-0 run, highlighted by Rogers' kill off Reynolds' assist. Reynolds continued to orchestrate the offense effectively, contributing to multiple kills and capitalizing on the Panthers' errors. Jordan's performance, including several key kills, helped extend the 'Fish lead. The Panthers struggled to close the gap, hindered by service errors and unforced attack errors. The Sailfish maintained control throughout the set, finishing with a commanding 25-14 lead.

In a closely contested second set, the Sailfish initially gained momentum with a service ace by Reynolds, followed by a kill from Sydney Corbett, giving them an early 4-1 lead. However, Florida Tech responded with a series of kills and service aces to shift the momentum, taking a 10-6 advantage. 

The Sailfish mounted a strong comeback led by Jordan and Kaley Board, tying the score at 19-19 with a service ace from Patterson. Despite their efforts, the Panthers edged out a victory in the set with decisive kills, closing it at 25-22.

PBA faced a challenging third set against Florida Tech, beginning with a service error by Corbett that set the tone for a difficult start. Despite trailing early, Stokes and Rogers helped PBA narrow the gap with key kills, each facilitated by Reynolds. However, Tech's Cordelia Kearns executed a series of kills to widen their lead, maintaining momentum with effective plays.

As the Sailfish attempted to rally, Jordan and Sedmack contributed significant points, keeping the visitors in contention. Yet, Tech maintained control, ultimately closing the set with a decisive kill by Isabelle Clark. The set concluded with Florida Tech leading 25-17.

Palm Beach Atlantic began the fourth set with a kill from Sedmack, assisted by Reynolds, tying the score at 1-1. The teams traded points early, with Stokes and Corbett each contributing crucial kills to keep the score close.

A series of errors by Tech allowed the Sailfish to narrow the gap, and a kill by Eduarda Dutra from Natalie Rhodes helped the 'Fish take a brief lead at 16-15. Despite a strong push with kills from Jordan and another from Stokes, Tech managed to regain control.

The set concluded with Tech securing a service ace, ending the game at 25-22 in favor of the Panthers.

PBA is back in action on Saturday with another regionally ranked matchup at Embry-Riddle. The match in Daytona Beach, Fla. starts at 5 p.m.