AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team could not finish off a comeback Saturday afternoon, falling in five sets to the Mighty Banyans of New College of Florida at the Tom Golisano Field House. Trailing two sets to one, the Gyrenes won a dramatic fourth set, but could not continue the momentum into the fifth. 

The Gyrenes were their own worst enemy in the first set, with 11 of New College's 25 points coming on AMU attack errors. The Mighty Banyans logged six of the afternoon's first eight points, with four coming on AMU errors, and never looked back in a 25-15 set victory. Ave Maria's only lead in the set was 2-1, after which New College logged five consecutive points.

Ave Maria played a much cleaner second set, making only two attack errors to even the match at one set apiece. The set victory came in come-from-behind fashion, as New College held a 22-20 lead. The Gyrenes won three of the next four points to tie the set at 23, then took the lead on a kill from Lucy Hudson and finished it off with a kill from Beatriz Rissi. 

In the third set, New College dominated at the net en route to a 25-14 set victory. The Mighty Banyans never trailed in the set, winning the first three points of the set on three consecutive kills. The visitors finished the third set with 15 kills to just three attack errors, good for a .343 attack percentage.

The fourth set went back-and-forth, with four different set points contested. Ave Maria had chances to put away the set at 24-23 and 25-24, while New College had match point at 26-25. However, it was the Gyrenes that came up big, tying the match on a Lucy Hudson kill, taking the lead on a block from Elle Malczewski and Beatriz Rissi, and forcing a fifth set on a New College attack error. 

AMU looked to have the fifth set in control, jumping out to a 10-7 lead in the decisive set. However, New College finished the match with eight of the final nine points, claiming the final set by a 15-11 score.

Greta Heiney led the Gyrenes with 12 kills in the match, with Elle Malczewski following with eight. Caroline Myers and Maria Teixeira split setting duties, with each player finishing with 19 assists. On the defensive side, six Gyrenes had at least ten digs, led by 18 from Ryan Getz. The leader at the net was Beatriz Rissi, who finished with five total blocks.

Ave Maria returns to the floor Wednesday night at home for their second meeting of the season with the Lions of Florida Memorial University. The Gyrenes will be looking for a season sweep following a 3-0 victory in Miami Gardens on September 10.