AVE MARIA, Fla. — While the opening frame did not go their way, the Ave Maria Volleyball team rallied in the final three sets of the match to beat the Keiser Seahawks 3-1. It is the first win over Keiser since 2023 for the Gyrenes, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Seahawks.

The first set was all Keiser as the Seahawks cruised to a 25-14 set win. The Seahawks recorded 15 kills to Ave Maria's 10 on their way to the first point of the match. KU's largest lead of the frame was 13 points, leading 24-11 at the first set point. The Gyrenes fought back and previewed what was ahead with three straight points, but a Keiser kill ended the frame.

The second set is when the Gyrenes turned the tide. Ave Maria raced out to an early lead and despite a couple of ties from the Seahawks, continued to distance themselves from Keiser. The Gyrenes led 15-9 when KU used their second timeout of the frame. After the stoppage, the two teams evened out, but the Gyrenes had built such a big lead that they cruised to their first point of the match with a 25-17 set win. Mara Delyon secured set point for the Gyrenes with her second ace of the frame. Elle Malczewski led the team in the second set with four kills.

The third set was the most dominant of the night for the Gyrenes, winning 25-13. Ave Maria recorded 12 kills in the frame and benefited from six errors committed by the Seahawks. AMU charged out of the gate, going on a 9-2 run featuring four kills and three aces. Caroline Myers recorded back-to-back aces at the start of the set, and the run was capped with an ace by Beatriz Rissi. Ave Maria continued to pour on the offense and not let Keiser get a foothold in the frame. Emily Child led the team with four kills in the frame.

The fourth and final frame of the match was the closest of the night, featuring five ties and three lead changes. Keiser won the first point of the set, leading for the first time since the opening frame. The Gyrenes hung around and forced a few ties before finally taking an 8-7 lead. After a couple more ties, Ave Maria led the rest of the frame on their way to a win. In the middle of the frame, the Gyrenes won one of the longest rallies of the night, lasting over 41 seconds, which ended with a Child kill. That point seemed to be the nail in the coffin for Keiser as the Gyrenes handled everything they threw at them. Child got her 10^th kill of the night on the final point to win the match.

"We really played together and played to our potential, which was very exciting," said head coach Tiegan McCormick after the win. "We've been saying a few things throughout the season to run our offense, to make it the most efficient we can, and I think we finally clicked in those moments…and we also served very aggressively."

As a team, the Gyrenes recorded eight service aces, the most since their three-set sweep over Florida Memorial on September 10. Delyon led the team with three aces, matching a season-high for her. On the other side of the court, Keiser only had two aces, the fewest Ave Maria has faced this season.

Child led the team in kills for the second match in a row with 10. Delyon and Rissi were right behind her with nine. Malczewski posted the highest hitting percentage, recording seven kills on 11 attempts with no errors for a percentage of .636.

Myers was the leading setter with 24 assists in the match. At the net, Rissi led the team with two total blocks. Defensively, Maylis DeTar led the team with 26 digs.

With the win, Ave Maria improves to 4-1 in conference play and 5-7 overall. It was the Gyrenes' first win over Keiser since 2023 and their first win in fewer than five sets over the Seahawks since 2021. At 4-1 in league play, the Gyrenes remained tied with the Southeastern Fire for second place in the standings.

The Gyrenes are on the road for their next two matches, first heading to Miami Gardens to take on the #13 St. Thomas Bobcats on Wednesday, October 1. The Bobcats are in first place in the conference with a 5-0 record. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.