AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team beat the number one team in The Sun Conference on Wednesday night, conquering the St. Thomas University Bobcats in four sets in front of a boisterous crowd at the Donahue Academy gymnasium. The Gyrenes avenged a loss to the Bobcats on the road earlier this season, and moved just one game out of first place in The Sun Conference.

The only set without major drama was the first, as Ave Maria cruised to a 25-18 win. Despite St. Thomas posting their best attack percentage of the match at .286, the Gyrenes were even better, earning 21 of their 25 points on kills for a .462 attack percentage. St. Thomas led 16-15 in the first set, but AMU went on a 8-0 run to take full control, then put the frame away on a kill from Madelyn Haut. 

In the second set, the action came down to the wire, and the Gyrenes weren't able to secure the win until their fourth opportunity at set point. After an early 5-1 lead for Ave Maria, the Bobcats rallied, and neither team led by more than three points for the remainder of the set. Ave Maria had chances to win the set at 24-22, 24-23, and 25-24, but were never able to put the Bobcats away until an ace from sophomore Lily Grasso finally did the deed at 27-25.

St. Thomas stayed alive in the third set, overcoming an early 11-4 lead for Ave Maria. The Gyrenes held the lead for much of the set, and had two opportunities at match point at 24-22 and 24-23. However, the Bobcats scored the final four points of the set, powered by a clutch performance from Tyran Chenault. Chenault had two solo blocks and a kill in that stretch, pushing the match to a fourth set.

It looked as if the match would head to a fifth set, as St. Thomas built a 16-11 lead in the fourth. The Gyrenes inched closer, but did not finally take the lead until a kill from Haut gave the Gyrenes a 20-19 lead. AMU and STU would be tied three more times, at 20, 21, and 22, but the Gyrenes took the lead for good with a Cabriella Bouterse kill at 23-22, then used two St. Thomas errors to clinch their fifth conference win.

Bouterse was Ave Maria's leading attacker in the win, logging 17 kills. Rita Campos added 13 kills, while Haut had 12 kills to go with her five blocks. Lily Witkoski, the two-time defending SUN Setter of the Week, had 46 assists and recorded another double-double with 13 eleven. Defensively, Victoria Schein led the Gyrenes with 20 digs, while Alejandra Suarez was also in double figures with 14.

Ave Maria is firmly in The Sun Conference title hunt with six matches to play, sitting one game behind St. Thomas and Florida Memorial in the league standings. The next match on the schedule is on the road, as the Gyrenes travel to Babson Park to take on the Warriors of Webber International University. Opening serve in Polk County is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.