TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. - With their backs against the wall, the Ave Maria Gyrenes volleyball team fought back to force a fifth set before ultimately falling to the Florida College Falcons 3-2.
The first set was all Florida College as the Falcons quickly jumped out to a 10-point lead, 15-5. The Gyrenes tried to come back but could not stop another long run from FC and dropped the first set 25-9.
The second set was a little closer, but Ave Maria still lost 25-16. After winning the first point of the first set, the Gyrenes never had the lead in the first two frames of the match.
In the third set, Florida College raced out to the lead and was able to get a five-point separation multiple times from AMU, but the Gyrenes showed no quit. Ave Maria rallied off two runs of three points to get within one of the Falcons.
FC thought they had put the game away when they scored three more points to make it 24-21, but a Beatriz Rissi kill, a FC attack error, and a Caroline Myers ace tied the game up at 24 and sent the third set into overtime.
Florida College got within one point of winning again, but another run of three points gave the Gyrenes their first set of the match, finishing with a long rally between the two squads that ended with an Elle Malczewski kill.
Now with some momentum, Ave Maria stormed into the fourth set keeping pace with Florida College. The set was tied at 10 points a piece before AMU went on a hot streak, winning six of seven points to get out to a five point lead. From then on, the Gyrenes cruised through the fourth set. The Falcons got close to tying the Gyrenes towards the end of the set, but AMU closed strong winning three of the last four points. A Reina Thomas ace clinched the set and forced a winner take all fifth set.
The Gyrenes, who were one point away from being swept not just in the match but for the whole season series against Florida College, had come back and were now in a position to win. Unfortunately, the Falcons proved to be too much in the final frame, jumping out to an 8-3 lead when the teams switched sides on the court.
AMU was able to get six more points to get up to nine, but the Falcons clinched the victory on their senior night winning the fifth set 15-9.
Two Gyrenes had double digit kills with Malczewski leading the team with 11 and Paeton Hyde right behind her with 10. Thomas led the team in assists and aces with 24 and two, respectively. Myers was the other Gyrene with double digit assists putting up 18.
With the loss, the Gyrenes fall to 10-17 overall. Ave Maria has one final game in the regular season making a trip out to Hialeah, Florida, to complete a home and home with the Florida National Conquistadors. The Gyrenes swept FNU at Donahue Academy Gym on September 28, winning 25-18, 26-24, 25-20.
Then it is off to the conference tournament where the Gyrenes are the five seed and will take on the #4 Webber Warriors. Webber won both matches against Ave Maria this year.
