AVE MARIA, Fla. --- The Ave Maria volleyball team defeated Florida National 3-1 on Tuesday night in their first of three games this week. Ave Maria took a 2-0 lead and then closed out the match in the fourth.

A back-and-forth opening set featured 13 ties and six lead changes. After the Conquistadors took a 233-22 lead, the Gyrenes rattled off three straight points off a couple FNU errors and then a Madelyn Haut kill to close out the set 25-23.

The Gyrenes started slowly in the second set but a 9-2 run helped the Blue and Green to a 18-11 lead midway through the set. Another kill by Haut closed out the set for AMU, 25-18. The Gyrenes hit .320 in the second set with 11 kills to three errors. 

The third set favored Florida National from the start, with the Conquistadors taking an 11-8 lead early on. FNU extended their lead to 19-12 and then won the final four points of the set to take the third, 25-17.

Early on the fourth, it appeared as if this match was destined for five with Florida National jumping out to a 9-4 advantage. Trailing by six, 11-5, AMU won five of the next six points to pull within two, 12-10. Midway through the set, four straight points for the Gyrenes tied the set at 15. In the run, AMU had kills from Erica Chenard, Alejandra Suarez, and Katie O'Donnell. Florida National continued to pressure AMU and maintained a 22-19 lead late in the set. Ave Maria won six of the last seven points to win the set 25-23. Chenard had two kills in the run and the match was closed out on a kill by Katie Grose.

Ave Maria hit .174 for the match and held a plus-13 kill advantage over FNU. 

Chenard and Haut led AMU with 12 kills and 10 kills, respective. Chenard, along with O'Donnell, Grose, and Suarez accounted for each of AMU's four service aces. Talia Samuels also had an impact on the attack with eight kills and a .467 hitting percentage. 

Grose finished with a game-high 39 assists and also tallied a team-best four blocks. Miah Pena (24), Victoria Schein (14), and Suarez (13) were the Gyrene leaders in digs.

The Blue and Green return to action tomorrow (Wednesday) night when they host St. Thomas University in a The Sun Conference match-up. First serve for the TSC contest is at 7 p.m.