AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team won a thriller Wednesday night at Donahue Gym, winning in five sets over the Royals of Warner University. Each of the first four sets was decided by the minimum two points, but the Gyrenes came up big when it mattered most, winning their ninth match of the season with a 15-10 victory in the fourth and final set.

The Royals led for much of the first set, but usually just by a point or two. The Gyrenes jumped ahead on several occasions, but could never sustain the momentum against the visitors from Lake Wales. AMU held a lead of 22-21 in the closing moments of the opening set, but the Royals responded with four of the last five points of the frame, taking a 25-23 victory. 

Ave Maria looked to be on cruise control in the second set, as the Gyrenes jumped out to a 16-7 lead. Warner fought their way all the way back, but AMU still had set point at 24-22. Warner then scored three points in a row to earn their own set point at 25-24. Ave Maria kept the set alive with an Alayna Metherd kill, then fought off set point again at 26-25 on a block from Paeton Hyde and Zelie Kessler. AMU then took advantage of two Warner attack errors to claim a 28-26 win in the second.

Similar to the first two sets, the third set again came down to the wire. This time, it was Warner that faced the initial set point, with Ave Maria holding a 24-23 lead. The Royals scored two points in a row, both courtesy of Reva Godbolt. After a Beatriz Rissi kill tied the set back up at 25, the Royals claimed the set with two more points, a kill from Leah Cooley and a block by Constanza Volpato.

AMU was just six points away from defeat in the fourth set, trailing the Royals 19-17. The Gyrenes battled back with six of the next nine points, and earned set point at 24-22. As was standard throughout the night, Warner fought off two set points to even the score at 24. This time, the Gyrenes would not be denied. An Elle Malczewski kill put AMU up 25-24, and an error from the Royals sent the match to a decisive fifth set.

For the first time all night, a set didn't come down to the wire. The Gyrenes never trailed in the set, and pulled away for a 15-10 victory. The Gyrenes couldn't close out the match on their first attempt at set point, but a Warner service error proved to be the clincher for AMU.

Five Gyrenes had ten or more kills in the win, led by 15 from Beatriz Rissi and 14 from Zelie Kessler. Caroline Myers led AMU with 28 assists, while Ryan Getz followed with a double-double of 24 assists and 13 digs. Hannah Jones was Ave Maria's top defensive player with 17 digs, with Reina Thomas also in double figures at 13.

The Gyrenes can take another step towards a fifth consecutive postseason berth on Saturday, when the Gyrenes cross state lines to take on the Mariners of the College of Coastal Georgia. Ave Maria will look to get back to .500 against the Mariners while also looking for the season sweep. Opening serve in Brunswick is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.