JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sophomore Mallory Mattingly was named to the all-tournament team as Jacksonville University volleyball closed out the 2017 Dolphin Invitational, Saturday at UNF Arena. The Dolphins fell, 3-1, to Austin Peay and dropped 3-0 to South Florida.
"I'm disappointed with some key contributors who didn't have their usual performances. We talk a lot about consistency and right now we are on a roller coaster," stated Head Coach Julie Darty. "We're trying to figure out how to get the most out of people and how we can come together as a unit of six people on the court and play good, disciplined volleyball."
Despite the struggles in consistency, Mattingly has proven to be the Dolphins' go-to when under pressure. She accumulated 47 kills and 31 digs over the course of the tournament – along with double-doubles in two of JU's three matches – and accounted for 30.5 percent of the Dolphins' 167.0 total points on the weekend (51.0 points).
Added Darty, "I'm proud of Mallory; she was a consistent performer all weekend. She knows how to do her job; she did it and she did it well. We just need a little bit more from everybody else; we need people to step up when they need to.
vs. Austin Peay
Set One
The first set saw both teams fighting for the advantage, with nine ties in the score, before Austin Peay pulled away with a 14-10 lead. However, the Dolphins (5-7) rallied back with three points on kills from seniors Cristina Finan and Olga Nushtayeva, and sophomore Alleah Stamatis to bring the set back within one. Deadlocked at 20, the Governors (11-2) took the next two points on a kill from all-tournament selection Christina White and a service ace. Nushtayeva added another kill on an assist from Stamatis, but the Dolphins were unable to get past Austin Peay, 25-21.
Set Two
Jacksonville fought back from an early 7-3 deficit with a 6-2 rally to come within one, 12-11. Austin Peay led by as many as nine (23-14), but an impressive 10-1 rally put the Dolphins back in the driver's seat with a 25-24 lead. A kill from sophomore Natalie Wehner put the nail in the coffin after the Governors' took a timeout as the Dolphins tied the match up, 26-24.
Set Three
The Dolphins led for much of the early part of the third set before a 5-1 rally from Austin Peay gave the visitors a 10-7 advantage. Despite several rally attempts, including a late three-point run that saw JU come within three, 23-20, Austin Peay took a timeout – then the final two points – for a 25-20 lead.
Set Four
Despite an early 6-5 lead behind kills from Wehner, Nushtayeva, and sophomore Amarrah Cooks, the Dolphins surrendered four consecutive points to the Governors and were unable to find their groove later on in the set. JU and APSU traded points in the middle of the set, but after a 5-1 run from the visitors, Jacksonville struggled to overcome a 20-13 deficit and ultimately fell, 25-16.
Mattingly led the Dolphins with her second straight double-double with 19 kills and 11 digs, while Nushtayeva added 11 kills. Stamatis posted 33 assists, while senior Mackenzie Swan added a team-best 18 digs. Cooks and Stamatis also combined for five solo blocks in the Dolphins' effort.
All-tournament selection Christina White led Austin Peay with 16 kill and 15 digs, while Kaylee Taff and tournament MVP Ashley Slay both added double-digit kills with 15 and 13, respectively. Kristen Stucker posted 57 assists and all-tournament pick Allie O'Reilly added a team-best 16 digs.
vs. South Florida
Set One
Hunting for a win in their second game of the day, the Dolphins opened up the first set with a 7-3 advantage over South Florida (4-5) as Mattingly had an ace and a kill, while Cooks, Stamatis, and Swan all contributed points early on. As the Bulls closed in, 9-7, JU received buffers from Mattingly, Stamatis, and senior Jessica Armstrong to extend its lead to 14-9. However, a 6-0 USF rally quickly turned the set around as the Dolphins struggled to find points thereafter. South Florida closed out the set on a 6-1 run, 25-18.
Set Two
Eleven ties highlighted the battle in set number two, as both teams fought for the lead. Knotted at 13, USF managed to take an 18-15 advantage. A kill from Armstrong looked promising as it brought JU back within two, but the Dolphins' offense stalled out as South Florida took seven of the final eight points, 25-17.
Set Three
Riding the spark from the previous set, South Florida jumped out of the 10-minute intermission with a 9-5 lead. However, kills from Wehner, Nushtayeva, Mattingly, and Stamatis jump-started a 9-4 Dolphin rally as Jacksonville took a 14-13 lead. A 6-2 run lifted the Dolphins to a 20-17 advantage, but JU's offense could only put away one more point after that as the Bulls used an 8-1 rally to take the match, 25-21.
Mattingly led the Dolphins with eight kills and five digs, along with a pair of service aces and blocks. Stamatis also posted a pair of blocks and 28 assists, while Swan led the team with 15 digs.
For the Bulls, all-tournament selection Regan Davey led the team with 11 kills, eight digs, and a pair of aces, while Priscilla Ehieze also had 11 kills. Alex Mendoza posted a game-high 40 assists and eight digs, while Nikkia Benitez added 11 digs for USF.
Looking ahead to next weekend's ASUN Conference opener at North Florida, Darty stated, "Hopefully we can get some time this week in practice and get into a good rhythm to feel good about going into conference. I'm excited to prepare for one match instead of three, and hopefully we can key in a little bit more on just our one opponent and get a little bit more prepared, I think we need to prepare a little bit better."
The Dolphins return to action next Friday, Sept. 22 when they return to UNF Arena for the River City Rumble and ASUN opener against North Florida. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.
Fans can follow all of the action during the 2017 season on Facebook (Jacksonville Dolphins), Twitter (@JUVolleyball), and Instagram (@JUVolleyball).
2017 Dolphin Invitational All-Tournament Team
Ashley Slay – Austin Peay (MVP)
Allie O'Reilly – Austin Peay
Christina White – Austin Peay
Clara Payne – USF
Reagan Davey – USF
Mallory Mattingly – Jacksonville
Erin Eulitz – Presbyterian
