AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Volleyball team fell in three sets Saturday to the Keiser Seahawks Wednesday evening, losing 25-18, 25-16, and 25-13. Multiple early runs for the Seahawks dug Ave Maria into holes too big to climb out of in each of the three sets.
The run in the first started with Keiser leading 6-5. The match started with two squads trading points back and forth and Ave Maria getting within a point after a Keiser attack error. Down just one and a chance to tie the set for the first set, the Gyrenes could not keep the door open. Keiser won the next nine points to build up to a 15-5 lead. From that point, Ave Maria actually outscored Keiser 13-10, but the damage was already done as Keiser took the first set.
The second set did not have one big run for the Seahawks, but multiple four-point runs as Keiser jumped out 11-4 on the Gyrenes. Ave Maria tried to find their way back into the set, but the Seahawks kept their streaks going and the Gyrenes off the board.
The third set was the most lopsided of the three, starting with Keiser getting out to a 7-0 lead. In the final points, the Seahawks outscored the Gyrenes 6-1 to clinch the set and win the match.
Four Gyrenes tied for the team lead in kills each with four: Greta Heiney, Caroline Myers, Emily Child, and DeAnna Barrett. Myers was the leading setter with 12 assists in the match. Defensively, Ines Lopes led the team with 16 digs.
With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 4-16 overall and 4-7 in conference play. The Gyrenes fall to sixth place in the Sun Conference standings but are still in a playoff spot. Thanks to a Warner loss, the Gyrenes are still one game ahead of the Royals. Both teams still have three conference games left to play so nothing is decided yet.
Ave Maria's next match is their home finale as the Gyrenes take on the New College of Florida Mighty Banyans. The match is a makeup of one that was originally scheduled for October 12 but had to be moved due to Hurricane Milton. The Mighty Banyans are half a game ahead of the Gyrenes in the standings at 4-6 and won the first match between the two in Bradenton. Ave Maria looks to flip the script and the standings Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.
