AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team could not complete another improbable comeback on Wednesday night, falling in five sets to the Keiser University Seahawks at Donahue Gym. The home loss was Ave Maria's first since October 14, 2020 (also a five-setter to Keiser), ending a streak of 19 consecutive home wins for the Gyrenes.
In the first set, neither team could establish dominance, with the lead never straying more than three points one way or the other. Keiser wound up getting the chance to finish off the set, and a Hannah Lynch kill on the Seahawks' second set point gave the early advantage to KU.
Keiser continued their attacking success in the second set, which saw the visitors end play with a kill on 18 of their 25 points. The Seahawks used a big run in the middle of the set to pull away from the Gyrenes, turning a 7-6 Ave Maria lead into an edge of 20-11 for Keiser with a 14-4 run. A kill from Cassie Cox would finish off a 25-17 win for KU, putting the Seahawks up two sets to none.
Looking to keep their hopes at a Sun Conference title alive, the Gyrenes kept the match going with a 25-20 win in the third set. After starting the set in a 3-0 hole, AMU proceeded to go on a 13-1 run, getting into a rhythm for the first time all night. Keiser would battle back into the set and get as close as three points, but the Gyrenes would close out the set at 25-20 to continue the match into the fourth.
Ave Maria carried the momentum from the third into a dominant fourth set. The Gyrenes jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back, holding the lead for the entirety of the frame. The fourth set was Ave Maria's most complete of the match, as the Gyrenes had their best attack percentage of the night at .371, and held the Seahawks to a mark of just .024.
The fifth set was a roller coaster ride for the teams, both of whom looked to be in control at some point. Ave Maria raced out to a 7-3 lead in the final set, but Keiser answered with a 7-1 run of their own. After going down 10-8, AMU scored three unanswered points to take the lead, but the Seahawks closed the match with five of the last seven points to claim a 15-13 win.
Zelie Kessler was Ave Maria's top attacker in the thriller, putting up 16 kills with a .316 attack percentage. Cabriella Bouterse (12) and Madelyn Haut (10) were also in double figures in kills. Lily Witkoski added 39 assists as Ave Maria's main setter, while Victoria Schein led the defensive efforts with 18 digs. Miah Pena (15) and Hannah Jones (14) also had more than a dozen kills, while both Haut and Abigail Costlow racked up seven total blocks.
Despite the loss, the Gyrenes can still clinch the number two seed, and the first round bye that comes with it, in next week's Sun Conference Tournament. AMU would need one win in their final two matches of the regular season to secure their third consecutive top-two seed. The Gyrenes' first opportunity at the bye will come Thursday, when Ave Maria hosts the College of Coastal Georgia at Donahue Gym. Opening serve is set for 7:30 p.m.
