LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team completed a regular season series sweep of the Southeastern University Fire on Wednesday night, crusing past SEU 25-20, 25-18, 25-13 in Lakeland. AMU took both regular season matches against Southeastern for the first time since 2009. The sweep came after the Fire had won 17 of the last 18 matches in the series, entering this season.
Southeastern looked to be in control in the first set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. Southeastern led for the majority of the set, with Ave Maria first tying the set at 15. The next two points went to the Fire, setting up the hosts with a 17-15 lead. From that point on, the Gyrenes were unstoppable, going on a 10-3 run to end the set. Cabriella Bouterse was the lynchpin of the run, logging three kills and a solo block. Another block, this one from Erica Chenard, completed Ave Maria's comeback for a 25-20 opening set triumph.
In the second set, Southeastern grabbed early leads of 4-2 and 6-4 before another major run by the visiting Gyrenes. On the serve of Lily Witkoski, the Gyrenes scored six unanswered points to take a 10-6 lead they would not relinquish. The Fire did not have a chance to tie the match at any point, as the closest they would come was two points. Ave Maria clinched the second set on a Southeastern service error, allowing the Gyrenes to go up two sets to none.
After rallying in the first two sets, Ave Maria was in control for nearly all of the final set. AMU's only deficit in the closing frame was 1-0, as the Gyrenes roared out to a 13-5 lead over the Fire. After Southeastern cut the AMU lead to four points (14-10), Ave Maria responded with six unanswered points to all but clinch the match. The Gyrenes ended matters with three straight points, coming on kills from Madelyn Haut and Zelie Kessler, as well as an SEU attack error.
Haut was Ave Maria's stalwart at the net on Wednesday night, leading the way with ten kills and five total blocks. Bouterse added eight kills, while Chenard and Kessler each had five. Lily Witkoski continued to be one of the best setters in The Sun Conference with 25 assists, while conference dig leader Victoria Schein added to her total with 19. Witkoski added eleven digs of her own to post a double-double, while Hannah Jones posted ten digs. The Gyrene block forced Southeastern into nearly as many attack errors (26) as kills (27).
Saturday marks a crucial game on the Ave Maria schedule, as the Gyrenes head north to take on the Mariners of the College of Coastal Georgia. AMU and Coastal Georgia are currently tied for second in The Sun Conference, and the Gyrenes will look to claim the tiebreaker over the Mariners after a four-set win on September 19. AMU has never won in Brunswick, being swept in each of their four trips north. Opening serve in the critical matchup is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
