MOBILE, Ala.- Jacksonville's volleyball team (0-1) opened its 2021 fall season against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (1-0) at the Jaguar Invitational, hosted by the University of South Alabama. After being defeated in the first two sets, Charleston rallied to force a set five and eventually take the match victory. 

The start of the first set was a back-and-forth affair, until the Buccaneers pulled ahead 9-7. Shortly after, a service error followed by a double block by Keyauna Linwood and Camryn Honn, tied the game a nine. From there, the game settled back into the same alternating point rhythm, before an ace by libero Kariana Ayala, propelled JU to set point, 24-22. Keeping the momentum, a double block from Honn and Barbora Romancova ended the next point and the Dolphins walked off the court with the set win, 25 -22. 

Set two began in a similar fashion as the lead changed seven times and the score tied nine times. The shift in score continued until the Dolphins opened its second 3-0 scoring run of the match to make it 21-17. JU was able to achieve the lead behind a stellar front line, with three kills a piece from Cami Kelsay, Autumn DeSantis and Zoe LaBreche. Charleston ended the Dolphins run after taking a time out, but was not able to ever regain control on offense. A kill by Honn ended the set at 25-22, giving the Dolphins a 2-0 lead and the chance to earn a sweep. 

Stellar energy from the Dolphins remained intact as JU blew the third set open with a scoring run to quickly get on the board, 3-0. Dominance from the JU offense accelerated to achieve a five point lead, and forced the Buccaneers to call its second timeout of the match. However, the Buccaneers refused to go down without a fight and managed a 6-1 scoring run to take a 19-15 lead. As DeSantis's fourteenth  kill of the match tied the game at 22, the back-and-forth scoring returned, sending the match into extra points. Back-to-back points earned by Charleston's Rachel Feggeler gave the Buccaneers its first set win of the day, 27-25. 

Charleston's offense continued to battle JU, as the ever present back-and-forth theme held through the entirety of the fourth set. Fueled by seven kills from Kelsay and 14 assists from Honn, the Dolphins were always within a three-point reach of the Buccaneers. Nonetheless, Charleston combated JU's steadiness to earn a 25-23 victory. This would force a winner-take-all fifth set. 

LeBreche found an open spot on the court to start off the fifth set with a kill for the Dolphins. From here, JU held onto the lead until Charleston rallied to tie the game at nine. Once the Buccaneers tied the game, they went on a 3-0 scoring run to make the score 13-10. Since the Dolphins were unable to gather composure on offense, the Buccaneers finished the set with a service ace to earn the match victory, 15-11. 

Despite the loss, several Dolphins showed strength on offense. Honn, the veteran setter for JU, accumulated 42 assists. Linwood and Kelsay, who each made their collegiate debuts, earned seven and 16 total kills respectively. On the defensive side, Ayala finished the game with the most digs, earning 19. 

Next, the Dolphins will start the second day of the tournament opposite the Florida A&M Rattlers at 3:00 p.m. and finish with a contest against host South Alabama. The match against South Alabama is slated for 7:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN+ For more information regarding JU Volleyball, please visit judolphins.com.