MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team saw their three-match winning streak come to an end on Wednesday evening, falling 25-19, 25-16, 25-12 to the Bobcats of St. Thomas University at the Fernandez Family Center in Miami Gardens. The Gyrenes fell in straight sets for the first time in the 2020 season.

AMU was their own worst enemy in the opening set, as nine of St. Thomas' 25 points came on unforced Gyrene errors - six unblocked attack errors and three service errors. The errors proved to be decisive in the set, as the Gyrenes and Bobcats were even in kills (12) and team blocks (3), and Ave Maria had the only ace of the set. STU relied on All-Conference hitter Arianna Bolinger, who had five kills in the opening frame. 

St. Thomas continued to control the action in the second set, claiming a 25-16 win over the Gyrenes. AMU held an early 4-2 lead, but St. Thomas would rally to take a lead they would not relinquish. Errors continued to haunt the Gyrenes, who committed another seven attack errors during the second set. Bolinger was even more the focal point of the STU attack in the second, adding another nine kills.

The Gyrenes found themselves in a big hole in the third set, surrendering eight of the first nine points to trail 8-1. Ave Maria could not dig out of the early hole, eventually falling 25-12. As evidenced by the score, the attack difference was at its greatest in the final set, with St. Thomas posting a game-high .344 attack percentage while the Gyrenes had as many errors as kills (six).

As a team, the Gyrenes logged a .040 hitting percentage, as opposed to a .274 mark from St. Thomas. 22 attack errors and four service errors proved to be the difference in the match, as the Gyrenes fell to 3-2 on the season, with all five matches coming in Sun Conference play.

Zelie Kessler was the only Ave Maria attacker with a hitting percentage above .200, logging nine kills on 25 swings. Katie Grose led AMU with 19 assists, while three Gyrenes - Grose, Hannah Jones, and Victoria Schein - had double digit digs. Bolinger led all players with 16 kills and 14 digs, and Kyleigh Beecham ran the St. Thomas attack to the tune of 34 assists.

Ave Maria will look to bounce back on Saturday, and will once again be on the road. The Gyrenes will face the Royals of Warner University in Lake Wales, with opening serve scheduled for 2:00 p.m.