ATHENS, Ga. – Jacksonville University volleyball fell in both matches on day one of the Bulldog Classic on Thursday.
 
The Dolphins (3-5) fell in three sets to Georgia in the morning and Samford in the evening at Ramsey Student Center.
 
MATCH ONE
 
The Dolphins got off to a quick start, scoring three straight points to take a 3-2 lead on a block by Rebecca Rocassin and a kill by Alija Heins. After it was tied at four, Georgia scored eight straight points to separate. Claire Mrukowski got a handful of late kills, but JU could not climb back, dropping the first set 25-12.
 
The two teams traded points early in the second set, once again tied at four in the opening moments. Georgia once again used an 8-0 run to build separation at that point. Lyric Love got a kill and combined with Rocassin for a block to help JU get back into the thick of it. Cami Kelsay collected a kill and Love once more added a kill and combined with Rocassin for a block to cut it to 23-14, but the Bulldogs then closed it out to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Georgia started the third set up 5-1, and grew it to 8-3. Myah Robinson and Anna Erickson had back-to-back kills to cut it to 9-6. UGa grew it to 15-8, but Love cut it to 16-10 with a kill. JU continued to chip away, using kills by Jenna McNamara and Niccola Bozzini to get it to 20-13. Heins and McNamara added more kills and it was 23-17 and 24-18 after Barbora Hošková tacked on another, but UGa closed the set out and took the match, 3-0.
 
MATCH TWO
 
Samford started the first set up 5-2, before the Dolphins put together a run of three of four points, capped by a kill from Kelsay to cut it to 6-5. A 3-0 run by JU with Mrukowski getting a kill and joining forces with Heins for a block brought the Dolphins within 13-11. It stayed within three until Erickson picked up a kill to cut it to 19-17. Mrukowski added two kills in a row and Kelsay made it a one-point difference, 21-20. Love had a block to tie it at 21, but the Bulldogs scored three of the last four points to take the opening set.
 
The second set began as a back-and-forth affair, but Samford scored three-straight to take an 8-5 advantage. A stretch followed with the Dolphins scoring five of seven to tie the match at 11, with Heins grabbing a kill and a block in the stretch. Three in a row scored by Samford put them back in front, 14-11. JU cut it to one twice, 17-16 and 18-17, but the Bulldogs followed with five straight to take a 23-17 advantage, and the two teams split points down the stretch, with Samford taking the set 25-19.
 
JU started the third set up 3-1, but Samford used a 6-0 run to go up 7-3. Love and Mrukowski totaled kills to bring JU within three, 9-6, but the lead grew to 15-10 for Samford. JU responded, ripping off six in a row, with Mrukowski scoring two kills, Heins and McNamara adding one each and Kariana Ayala-Drew collecting a service ace, and the Dolphins taking a 16-15 lead. The lead changed hands three times and was tied four additional instances. After it was knotted up at 21, Samford scored the final four points of the set to conclude the match.
 
UP NEXT
 
Jacksonville concludes the Bulldog Classic with a match against Army tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.
 
NOTABLE NUMBERS
 

• Kristina Nika had her second career 20-plus dig game vs. Samford, totaling 24
• Freshman Claire Mrukowski had a career-high 12 kills vs. Samford, while adding six digs and a block to end with 12.5 points
• Rebecca Rocassin and Lyric Love each had three blocks to lead the team in the two matches