TROY, Ala. – Returning home with its first win of the season and a split on the final day of the Troy Tournament, the Jacksonville University volleyball team defeated Chattanooga, 3-1 earlier in the day before falling to the tournament host Trojans, 3-0 in the nightcap, Saturday afternoon at Trojan Arena. Junior Bailey Foy was the lone Dolphin named to the All-Tournament Team and earned Hodges Mazda Player of the Game for the day.

"This was a good tournament for us. We played some really good teams and battled along the way," noted head coach Evan Muys following the tournament finale. "Today, we had to battle through some adversity and I liked how we fought. We're excited to get back into our own gym this week and prepare for our home tournament."
 

Game 1 vs. Chattanooga
Senior Mallory Mattingly and sophomore Natalie Martin posted their second-straight double-double performances of the tournament, as Mattingly notched 18 kills and 11 digs while Martin added 35 assists and 12 digs. Foy added a team-high five blocks in the win.

Down a two, 8-6, Jacksonville ran away with the set behind a 10-3 run that featured four of Mattingly's kills. The Dolphins stayed a step ahead with a 22-17 lead as Chattnooga looked to make a push with four of the next five points. After a timeout, however, it was the Mocs who notched another four-point rally to bring things within two, 23-21. After a timeout from the Dolphins, Jacksonville returned to the court and put away two points for the set win, 25-21.

Carrying that momentum into the second, the Dolphins used another impressive run – this time a 5-0 rally – to take a 7-3 lead early on. Chattanooga chipped away and stole JU's lead thanks to a 7-0 streak, but it was ended by a solid service ace from Martin as JU came within two, 15-13. Sandwiching a timeout, the Dolphins launched into a five-point assault to hold Chattanooga at 23, but the Mocs found a way to grind out the final two points to even up the match, 25-22.

Starting on a 5-0 run, the Dolphins found themselves on the end of a 10-7 deficit before calling a timeout. Out of the break, Jacksonville bared down and allowed just four points from the Mocs while it posted a hearty 8-0 run to take the set in a decisive manner, 25-17.

A pair of 6-0 runs in the fourth set, including one to put the match away, lifted the Dolphins to their first win of 2019. Down 9-8, Jacksonville used its first 6-0 run to gain a 14-9 advantage and its first lead of the set. After falling behind 17-12, the Mocs took a chance on a timeout and the Dolphins never let off the gas. Jacksonville followed up with a second 6-0 run – this time as part of a larger 8-3 streak out of Chattanooga's timeout – that put the set away, 25-15.
 
Game 2 vs. Troy
Battling the tournament hosts, the Dolphins came up short 3-0 against Troy in the weekend finale.

After starting the match in a four-point hole, the Dolphins rebounded to tie the opening set. With three straight kills from freshman Lexi Wierzbicki and two from Foy, the Dolphins ran ahead with a 9-7 lead. However, the Trojans found their momentum and answered back immediately with a 6-0 rally to force JU to call a timeout. With the exception of a 3-0 run in the middle of the set, Jacksonville worked to string together multiple-point rallies but a stifling Trojan defense held JU off, 25-18.

Troy (5-1) held that momentum into the second set as the hosts worked a 10-4 advantage over the Dolphins. Coming out of a timeout, Jacksonville chipped away at Troy's lead to bring things within three, 16-13; the run was highlighted by a service ace from Martin, who finished the match with 28 assists. Four Trojan points held off Jacksonville's advances, however, and despite a late 4-1 Dolphin run, Troy came out unscathed with a 25-21 win in game two.

Leading the charge in the third set, Jacksonville (1-5) used a pair of blocks off the hand of junior Briana Kipp, coupled with junior Madison Rayam and Wierzbicki, to give JU a 4-2 lead. Trading points throughout, the teams saw 12 ties in the score with the last at 17. Troy surged ahead to lead 22-19 and put the match away with the final three points, 25-20.

Kipp finished the day with three blocks, while Wierzbicki (9 kills) and Foy (7 kills, 2 blocks) combined for 16 kills. Senior Natalie Wehner added a team-high 10 digs in the effort.

The Dolphins return to Historic Swisher Gymnasium next weekend for their home-opening River City Rumble Tournament. The Dolphins will face Charleston Southern and FIU on Friday, Sept. 13, followed by a meeting with Belmont to close out the tournament on Saturday, Sept. 14.