AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit Saturday afternoon, but could not complete the comeback in a five-set loss to the Webber International University Warriors at Donahue Gym. The Gyrenes won a pair of heartstopping sets in the third and fourth, but couldn't sustain that momentum into the decisive fifth set. 

The Webber attack was firing on all cylinders in the first set, as the Warriors cruised to a 25-17 victory. Ave Maria held an early lead of 10-9, but the Warriors responded with a 13-3 run to open up the lead. While the visitors from Babson Park pounded 12 kills with just three errors, the Gyrenes made nine errors to counter their ten kills.

Saturday's second set followed a similar pattern, as Webber's attack was on point in a 25-19 win. The Warriors made just two attack errors, and logged a .462 hitting percentage on the set. Webber jumped out to a 7-2 lead early in the set, and never relinquished that lead en route to taking a 2-0 lead.

With their backs against the wall, the Gyrenes found a way to rally in the third set. Ave Maria was just three points away from being swept, trailing 22-19 after a kill from Webber's Nadia Reid. The Gyrenes then ended the set on a 7-2 run, storming back for a 26-24 win. The clinching point came on AMU's second attempt at set point, when Paeton Hyde slammed home a kill on an assist from Ryan Getz.

Again in the fourth set, the Gyrenes stormed back from a late deficit to force the match into a fifth set. This time, the Gyrenes trailed 17-13, and responded with a 12-5 run to end the set. AMU again clinched the set on their second chance, taking advantage of a Webber attack error to send the match to a first-to-15 fifth set. 

That fifth set, though, was all Webber. The Warriors slammed home nine kills and made just one attack error during the final frame, and only trailed after the very first point of the set. The decisive run came when AMU had cut the Webber lead to 9-7. The Warriors responded with the final six points of the afternoon, taking the match on a solo block from the 6-foot-6 Cintia Lorena.

Alayna Metherd had a solid day at the net for the Gyrenes, leading the way with 12 kills and adding three blocks. Caroline Myers posted a double-double from the setter position, posting 21 assists and ten digs. Three other Gyrenes were in double figures in the digs column, as team leader Hannah Jones (16) was joined by Abbey Grose and Reina Thomas, who both accounted for 13.

Now with an 8-9 record and a 3-3 mark in Sun Conference play, the Gyrenes will play just one match next week, finishing their first trip through the conference schedule. AMU will travel to The Furnace in Lakeland for a meeting with Southeastern University on Wednesday, with opening serve from the SEU campus scheduled for 7:00 p.m.