AVE MARIA, Fla. --- Ave Maria and Florida College used all five sets to decide their match on Tuesday night with the visiting Falcons taking the fifth 17-15 to win the match. Each set was highly contested in the back-and-forth clash.
 
AMU got off to a quick start and the Lady Gyrenes won four of the last six points of the opening set to take it 25-22. Each team exchanged runs in the second set but the Falcons would end the set on top, 26-24. In the second, the Lady Gyrenes saved three set points to tie it at 24 before the Falcons won the final two points to take the set.
 
A pair of six point runs by AMU in the third set let AMU jump out to a 16-10 lead before going on to win the third set, 25-17, and take a 2-1 set lead. In the fourth, Ave Maria rallied to take six of seven points to tie the set at 20-20. Then, trailing 24-21, AMU fought off two set points before Florida College closed out the set 25-23.
 
Neither team was able to gain an advantage for most of the fifth set before back-to-back points for AMU on kills by Hannah Wurster and Libby Welsh gave the Lady Gyrenes a match point, 14-13. After a Florida College timeout, the Falcons scored two straight points to earn their first match point, 15-14. AMU saved one match points but Florida College tallied the next two points to take the set 17-15.
 
Lexy Smith led AMU in kills with 21 followed by Wurster with 17 and Lexie Andric with 11. Jessica Schein finished with 24 digs while Nina Parlapiano and Andric added 23 and 17, respectively. Lauren Ruby had 52 assists for AMU and added 12 digs. Smith had five blocks to lead the Lady Gyrenes.
 
Ave Maria drops to 6-9 on the season with the loss. The Lady Gyrenes return to conference play tomorrow night when they welcome Warner University to Tom Golisano Field House for a 6 p.m. start.