AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University volleyball team ended the regular season in dramatic fashion on Saturday, pulling off a reverse sweep in a 3-2 victory over the Warriors of Webber International University. The Gyrenes denied Webber a spot in The Sun Conference Tournament and finished the conference season at .500 for the first time since 2022.

Both teams were efficient on the attack in the opening set, with both Webber and Ave Maria posting attack percentages above .200. However, it was Webber that was more efficient, claiming a 25-22 victory in the first set. A key run in the first set saw Webber, with Ave Maria serving to tie the match, score three straight points to turn a 19-18 lead into a 22-18 edge. 

The Gyrenes looked to be in dire straits in the second set, falling 25-17 to the Warriors. Ave Maria managed just six kills in the second set, with the Warriors racking up 16. The Gyrenes were mostly level with the Warriors for the first 15 points of the set, but Webber went on a 7-1 run, turning an 8-7 lead into a 15-8 edge and cruising from there.

With the match on the line, Ave Maria came out firing in the third set, jumping out to a 10-2 lead and never looking back. The Warriors never got closer than four points, committing more errors in the set (9) than kills (8). A kill from Emily Child finished off the set with Ave Maria winning 25-16, sending the match to a fourth set. 

Ave Maria continued that momentum into the fourth set, surging out to a 6-0 lead. However, Webber would respond and eventually reclaim the lead by as many as three points at 14-11. AMU responded with a 7-1 run, pulling ahead 18-15 and eventually claiming the set on an Elle Malczewski kill, 25-23.

Webber took a 2-1 lead in the fifth set, but Ave Maria rolled from there. The Gyrenes scored six of the next seven points to go up 7-3, and never relinquished the lead. The Gyrenes finished off their reverse sweep by winning the fifth set, 15-12, closing the deal on another kill from Malczewski.

Elle Malczewski led the Gyrenes with 16 kills in the win, with Greta Heiney adding 12 and Emily Child chipping in with eleven. Caroline Myers and Maria Teixeira split setting duties with 23 assists each. Defensively, Beatriz Rissi came just one block short of tying Madelyn Haut's school record for blocks in a match, finishing with eleven. Maylis DeTar was Ave Maria's leader on the back line, finishing the match with 21 digs.

For the first time since hosting at Donahue Gym in 2020, the Gyrenes will play a home conference tournament match on Tuesday, when the fourth-seeded Gyrenes host the fifth-seeded Seahawks of Keiser University. Ave Maria won both matches against the Seahawks in the regular season, and will look to finish off a season sweep for the first time of 2013. Opening serve from Tom Golisano Field House is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.