DAVIDSON, N.C. – After a longer-than-usual offseason, the Jacksonville University volleyball took to the court Friday afternoon at John M. Belk Arena to take on Davidson College to open the 2020-21 season. The new-look Dolphins (0-1) saw seven newcomers in action and kept things close all afternoon, but fell to the Wildcats (1-0) 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-13).
 
The day's first set was a back and forth affair that saw the score tied on 10 ocassions. After scoring the first point of the match on a kill by Barbora Romancova, Davidson would score the next two points to go ahead before the two sides would commence a seesaw battle for the early stages of the set. After a bad set by the Wildcats off a Gyrani Rogers serve put JU ahead 9-8, Davidson rattled off four-straight points to go ahead 13-9. The Dolphins would go on a late run, sparked by an Autumn DeSantis kill to tie the set at 21 before the Wildcats ended on another 4-0 run to take the opening frame.
 
Jacksonville would score first again to start set two but Davidson would take six of the next seven points to go ahead 6-2. JU would answer, scoring four of the next five on the strength of two kills from Hannah Edelman and capped with a service ace from Addyson Lewis to tie the set at seven. Much like set one, the second stanza was a back and forth affair, with each side swapping runs until at 14-14, the Wildcats took the lead for good, scoring three straight to take a 17-14 edge and outlasted the Dolphins.
 
In the third set of the day, Davidson jumped out to a 4-0 lead right away and never looked back. Jacksonville scored four of the next six points to get within two at 6-4, but that would be as close as they would get for the remainder of the set, struggling to find rhythm on offense as the Wildcats took the final set by 12.
 
Edelman led the way for the Dolphins, collecting 10 kills and six digs in her debut. Romancova finished the day with eight kills and four digs, while Isa Dostal carded six kills and four digs. Graduate transfer Avery Perosa notched a trio of service aces along with three assists and 10 digs, while Lewis recorded three aces of her own. Freshman Camryn Honn recorded 27 assists and nine digs to with a service ace.
 
The Dolphins will be in action again next Wednesday January 27 as they make the trip to Florida International for a 3 PM contest.