AVE MARIA, Fla. --- The Ave Maria University volleyball team dropped a three-set decision to the visiting Royals of Warner University on Wednesday night, falling 15-25, 18-25, 25-27 at the Tom Golisano Field House. The Lady Gyrenes were defeated by decreasing margins in each of the three sets, including having two set points in the match's final set.
 
Warner controlled the first set, rolling to the ten-point victory behind six kills from Angie Pagan-Perez. In the second set, AMU hung within four points for the majority of the action, with a closing five-point run from the Royals allowing the visitors to pull away. The third set was the best for Ave Maria, as the Gyrenes led by four points on numerous occasions, as early as 4-0 and as late in the set as 19-15. Ave had set point opportunities at 24-23 and 25-24, but Warner scored the final three points of the match to secure the three-set victory.
 
Lexy Smith, who entered the contest leading The Sun Conference in hitting percentage, led the Gyrene attack with 12 kills. She recorded five of her kills in the opening set, accounting for all but one of the Gyrenes' kills. Hannah Wurster followed with six kills, four of which came in the final set. Two of those four kills gave the Gyrenes the lead in the final set, accounting for 23-22 and 24-23 advantages.
 
Lauren Ruby led Ave Maria in both assists and digs, posting 18 assists and digging out 14. Libero Jessica Schein was also in double figures in digs with 12. Schein, in addition to her digs, was Ave Maria's most successful server with three aces.
 
The visiting Royals got 13 kills each from Angie Pagan-Perez and Adrienne Czaplewski, who came into the game as the team's top two attackers. Raygen Lee accounted for 31 of Warner's 38 assists, while four Royals had at least ten digs- Thalia Mendez (13), Pagan-Perez (11), Lee (10), and Czaplewski (10). Warner's service effort was key in the victory, logging 13 aces. Ashley Kube's five ace game was the game-high.
 
Ave Maria plays their third game in five days on Saturday, when the Lady Gyrenes travel to West Palm Beach for a meeting with Keiser University. The first scheduled meeting between the teams was postponed last week due to Hurricane Matthew. The next home game is set for Monday night at 7 p.m. against Edward Waters.