JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Battle-tested after the first day of the River City Rumble Tournament, the Jacksonville University volleyball team fell to Charleston Southern and Florida International by identical 3-1 scores, Friday at Historic Swisher Gymnasium.

With 34 digs on the day, senior Natalie Wehner was named Hodges Mazda Player of the Game to close out the tournament.
 
 
vs. Charleston Southern
Using an 8-0 run, the Dolphins erased an early five-point deficit to set the tone in the opening set. A kill from Charleston Southern broke things up, but the Dolphins added four more points to extend their lead to 17-11. After trading points the Dolphins shut down a pair of 3-0 runs as a kill from junior Bailey Foy sealed the Dolphins' 25-22 win.

Jacksonville picked up where it left off with four of the first five points to hold the lead. With a 7-0 run, however, the Buccaneers swung the momentum in their favor and extended things to set point behind a late 5-0 run. Back-to-back kills from senior Mallory Mattingly held off CSU momentarily as the visitors tied the match, 25-20.

Charleston Southern (3-5) took advantage of back-to-back 6-0 runs in the third (25-18) and fourth (25-19) sets for a 3-1 win.

Mattingly led the team with 17 kills and nine digs, while Foy (9 kills) and freshman Lexi Wierzbicki (15 kills) also contributed. Sophomore Natalie Martin (40 assists) and senior Natalie Wehner (20 digs) led the match in their respective categories.

vs. FIU
Jacksonville bounced back with a win in extra points in the second set after FIU (4-3) took the opener, 25-18. Both teams fought for an advantage in a set that saw 14 ties in the score, but it was the Dolphins who came away victorious as Foy had a hand in both points with a kill and a block assist with Grossman to deadlock the match, 26-24.

While the next two sets fell in favor of the visitors, 25-15 and 25-19, a trio of Dolphins neared double-double territory in the match.
Mattingly (15 kills, 7 digs), freshman Lindsey Grossman (11 kills, 8 digs), and sophomore Natalie Martin (39 assists, 7 digs) all came close to the mark, while Wierzbicki also put up double-digit kills with 10 in the effort.

Foy, last weekend's All-Tournament Team selection at Troy, posted nine kills and led the team with five blocks, and senior Natalie Wehner added 14 digs. Representing the Dolphins' freshman class well, Grossman and Kari DeYoung added four blocks each and Abby Jackson totaled six digs.

The Dolphins return to action tomorrow, Sept. 14 when they close out the tournament against Belmont at 2 p.m.