Box Score BRUNSWICK, Ga.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team fell in a conference match to the Mariners of the College of Coastal Georgia on Saturday afternoon, dropping three straight sets, 25-21, 30-28, 25-17. Coastal Georgia moved to 2-2 in The Sun Conference with the win, while Ave Maria fell to 1-4.
In the opening set of the match, Coastal Georgia went on a 14-4 run to turn a tight 4-3 set into a 18-7 lead. The Gyrenes would not go away, though, as AMU scored eight unanswered points to cut Coastal Georgia's lead from 20-10 to 20-18. Lauren Ruby served for seven of the eight points, and the Gyrenes took advantage of four Mariner attack errors and another two ball handling errors. The Mariners were able to hold off the Gyrenes to claim a 25-21 win in the first set.
The Gyrenes controlled the second set early, opening up a lead as big as seven points at 19-12. After Coastal Georgia rallied to tie the match at 21 and 22, the Gyrenes scored back-to-back points on kills from Jenna Barnak and Katie O'Donnell. to set up two set points. The Mariners fought off both points to even the set at 24. In total, the Gyrenes had three attempts to win the set, while it took Coastal Georgia until their fourth set point to claim a 30-28 win.
Ave Maria got off to a 4-0 lead in the third set, led by an ace from Cassie Davis and a kill from Ruby. Coastal Georgia rallied, and the set stayed within two points in either direction for the majority of the action. The Mariners put the match away late in the set, going on a 10-2 run to close the set with a 25-17 victory.
Ruby led the Gyrenes with eight kills, and nearly posted a triple double with nine assists and 15 digs. O'Donnell added seven kills, two aces, and 16 digs while Davis posted 17 assists. In addition to Ruby and O'Donnell, two more Gyrenes logged ten or more digs - Alejandra Suarez (12) and Daniela Jaramillo (11).
The Gyrenes will play at home twice in the coming week, beginning with a conference tilt against Johnson and Wales University on Wednesday at the Tom Golisano Field House. The week will continue on Friday, when AMU hosts South Florida State College in an exhibition match.
