AVON PARK, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team could not move towards a home match in The Sun Conference Tournament on Saturday, falling in four sets to the Warriors of Webber International University in a match played on the campus of South Florida State College. The Gyrenes are now guaranteed to be the fifth seed in the tournament, and will play either Keiser or Webber in the quarterfinal round.

For one set, the Gyrenes looked like the better team, claiming a 25-22 victory in the opening frame. With the match tied at 22, the Gyrenes came up with three key points to take the opening set. A kill from Elle Malczewski gave AMU a 23-22 lead, and a Ryan Getz ace moved the Gyrenes to set point. Freshman Kylie Lacy continued the youth movement, pounding home a kill to give Ave Maria an early lead.

That early momentum did not last, as Webber was thoroughly dominant in the second and third sets of Saturday's match. Webber rolled to a 25-5 victory in the second set, then added a 25-12 set in the third. Ave Maria had ten attack errors in both sets, while the Warriors did not have any. This barrage gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead in the match.

The fourth set was more similar to the first, but it was Webber that scored three straight points this time, taking the match. The Gyrenes held a 24-23 lead in that set, but two kills from Bailey Sikkema allowed the Warriors to all but clinch a home match in the Sun Conference Tournament, and give Webber a chance to catch Keiser University for the third seed. 

Elle Malczewski was Ave Maria's top attacker in the win, logging eleven kills. Alayna Metherd wasn't far behind the freshman, putting up nine kills of her own. Ryan Getz and Reina Thomas both had 19 assists  in the losing effort, while Ines Lopes was the lone Gyrene in double figures with ten digs, although every Gyrene that touched the floor recorded at least one dig.

Ave Maria will be seeded fifth in The Sun Conference Tournament during the first full week of November, a seed that means a road trip in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019. AMU will have a chance to disrupt the top of the standings on Wednesday, when the Gyrenes host second-seeded Southeastern University at Donahue Gym. Opening serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with Senior Day festivities before the match.