AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team secured the number two seed in The Sun Conference on Saturday afternoon, thanks to a three-set sweep of the Webber International University Warriors. The Gyrenes won their fourth consecutive match with a 25-17, 25-20, 25-23 victory at the Rhodora J. Donahue Academy. The win also clinched a series sweep over Webber for Ave Maria for the second straight season.

With the opening set even at four, the Gyrenes won six conseutive points to take a 10-4 lead they would not relinquish, and extended their lead to nine points with an overall 11-2 run. From there, Webber never again came within five points in the opening set, and Ave Maria completed the action with three straight points to end the set. A kill from Miah Pena clinched the first set, giving the Gyrenes their tenth straight set win over the Warriors.

The second set went back and forth for much of the action, with neither team leading by more than three points. With the set tied at 17, the Gyrenes scored four unanswered points to take a 21-17 lead. Two of those points came on blocks, with one from Lily Witkoski and another from Madelyn Haut and Miah Pena. The Gyrenes led by at least three points the rest of the way, with a Cabriella Bouterse kill putting it away for a two-set AMU lead.

In the third set, Ave Maria had control most of the way, leading for all but one point. The Gyrenes looked poised to put the match away, leading 21-16. Webber scored four points in a row to cut the AMU lead to 21-20, but could never get over the hump to tie the match. On Ave Maria's second match point, Erica Chenard put home a kill to end the day with a fourth straight sweep of the Warriors, which followed 21 consecutive Webber wins over AMU.

Ave Maria's block was once again crucial in the victory, as the AMU front line logged eight blocks as a unit. The Gyrenes logged a .215 hitting percentage, and held Webber to a .075 mark. 

Cabriella Bouterse led the Gyrenes with ten kills in the win, while Madelyn Haut followed with seven and Zelie Kessler added six. In her first game since September 23, Katie Grose had 30 assists for AMU, and nearly posted a double-double with eight digs. Victoria Schein led the Gyrenes defensively with nine digs, while the blocking effort was ppowered by four block assists from Haut, as well as three each from Chenard and Bouterse.

The win moved the Gyrenes to 12-3 on the season, and ensured that Ave Maria will have home court advantage in the first two rounds of The Sun Conference Tournament. The final match of the regular season comes on Monday night, when the Warner University Royals come to Donahue Academy. Ave Maria swept the first match between the schools this season back on September 26. Opening serve in Ave Maria is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.