TROY, Ala. – Jacksonville University volleyball wrapped the Troy Invitational with a dramatic five-set victory over host Troy on Saturday.
 
The Dolphins (6-6) rallied after dropping the first set, and rallied five times facing match point in the fifth set to pull out the victory.
 
SET ONE
 
JU started hot, using a 5-0 run to take the early advantage. Julia de Sa had a pair of kills and Haley Hart and Rebecca Rocassin teamed up for a block on the run. After another de Sa kill pushed the lead to 6-2, Troy rallied to get it within one, 6-5, and then 7-6. JU led until it was 14-all, and Troy found its rhythm to take a lead it would not relinquish.  
 
The Trojans used a 4-0 run to push the lead to as many as six late in the set, and then had another 5-0 run to conclude it with a 25-16 win to take the opening set.
 
SET TWO
 
Hart was a one-woman wrecking crew to start the second set, scoring JU's first six points, with three kills and three solo blocks. A 3-0 run by JU made it 8-3 before Troy got going. They cut the lead to one with a 4-0 run of their own, but Jenna McNamara ended the run with her first kill of the set. Lyric Love followed with the 400th block of her career, helping JU to a 10-8 lead.
 
After the two teams went back-and-forth for a bit, JU rattled off a 4-0 run, with kills by McNamara and Rocassin, as well as a solo block by Love. Troy crept back in it, tying the set at 17 before McNamara responded with another well-timed kill and Rocassin dropped an ace, forcing the Trojans to take a timeout. Two more service aces by Rocassin continued a 6-0 scoring run to make it 23-17. McNamara's fourth kill of the set pushed JU to the finish line, and the Dolphins evened the match with a 25-19 set two win.
 
SET THREE
 
After Troy scored the first point of the set, JU used kills by Hart, Rocassin and de Sa to spark a 6-0 run to establish an early lead. The success did not end there, with Hart picking up two kills and de Sa recording two services aces for another 4-0 run to extend the JU lead to 10-2.
 
Rocassin's fourth ace of the match pushed the Dolphin lead to 15-4 and Troy burned its second timeout. A 4-0 run by Troy cut the lead to seven, 16-9. Troy tried to come back, but Kariana Ayala-Drew recorded a big ace to cap off the 25-15 set win to go up 2-1 in the match.
 
SET FOUR
 
Troy started off the fourth set taking an 8-3 lead, and JU burned an early timeout. The Trojans continued their strong play, with a 3-0 run to push the lead to 13-5. While JU pushed a few times, the Dolphins were never able to build enough momentum to seriously threaten in the set. Troy won 25-12 to force a decisive fifth set.
 
SET FIVE
 
After falling behind 6-3 early, JU used a timeout and got a kill by McNamara right out of it. A block by Love got the Dolphins within one and she followed that will a kill to tie it at seven. After the two sides traded points, Troy used a 3-0 run go up 11-8.
 
From there, JU slowly climbed back in, eventually getting a kill by Hart and a solo block by McNamara to tie it at 12. McNamara followed with a kill to give JU the lead, but Troy immediately tied it. The Dolphins got to match point on another kill by Hart, but Troy rallied, then had match point five times, with JU able to parry. Finally, McNamara finished things with her 11th and final kill of the day to win the set 21-19.
 
Haley Hart led a balanced offense with 13 kills, Lyric Love rose up for nine blocks, while Rebecca Rocassin totaled 39 assists and Kariana Ayala-Drew collected a career-high 35 digs.
 
JU finished the Troy Invitational with two wins and a loss, and return home to open ASUN Conference play next weekend, facing FGCU and Stetson at Swisher Gym.