PENSACOLA, Fla. — As the regular season reaches its final match, the Jacksonville Dolphins are playing some of their best volleyball. JU defeated the West Florida Argonauts in a five-set thriller (25-16, 23-25, 9-25, 25-18, 15-4) in the Dolphins first ever trip to Pensacola. The win secures Jacksonville's place in the ASUN Volleyball Championship next week.
Junior
Haley Yount had her best showing this season, recording a career-high 12 blocks (two solo, 10 assisted) while also adding 12 kills, hitting .500. This the second block-kill double-double of her career.
Set One
Yount set the tone with her offense in the opening set. She notched six kills on eight attempts to lead a JU offense that hit .318 as a team en route to a commanding win in the first set. The Dolphins led by as many as 11 deep into the first. Even as the Argonauts tried to claw back, kills from Yount and graduate student
Abbie Tuyo closed the door with a nine-point win in the first.
Set Two
After JU rolled to a win in the first, things tightened up in the second. The set was tied as late as 23-23, with neither team leading by more than five the entire set. Despite six kills from Tuyo (who hit .545 for the set), the Dolphins couldn't close the gap in the final points. UWF scored the last two to tie the set at one set all.
Set Three
Jacksonville scored five kills as a team in the third as West Florida took a 25-9 third-set victory.
Set Four
Facing a four-set loss, the Dolphins battled back with a commanding performance in the fourth. It started at the net where JU tallied six team blocks, led by Yount's three block assists. Jacksonville forced nine Argonaut errors to help spearhead the Jacksonville victory and tie the match at two sets all.
Set Five
In Jacksonville's ninth five-setter of the season, the Dolphins blew the doors off the West Florida in the fifth. The Dolphins took the first four points of the set, forcing an early Argonaut timeout. UWF took a point after the break, but JU rattled off a 10-0 run to reach match point, 14-1.
West Florida extended the match a little, but senior setter
Jade Cuya Cobos casually dumped the ball into the empty court to close out the set and the match.
Match Notes
- Yount's 12 blocks are tied for the most by any ASUN player in a match this season, alongside her teammate Addison Krieger who had 12 against FGCU (10/16/26).
- The Dolphins are undefeated against UWF this season, winning both matches in five sets.
- Jacksonville has clinched the postseason for the third season in a row. This is JU's first three-year run of tournament appearances since making it every season from 2012-17.
- JU had four players record double-digit kills: Yount (12), Tuyo (11), senior Claire Mrukowski (11) and freshman Jaylyn Tuiasosopo (10).
- All four also recorded double-doubles, with Tuyo, Mrukowski and Tuiasosopo all hitting double-digit digs.
Head Coach Alicia Manguiat
"I'm proud of our fight tonight. This was a big opportunity for us, and our team delivered a big result. What a great night from Haley, she was dominant on both sides of our net. We got a lot of good things up and down the lineup as well. We want to play our best volleyball this time of year, and this is another positive step in the right direction."
Up Next
The Dolphins close the regular season in Jacksonville, but on the other side of town as they face the North Florida Ospreys in the River City Rumble. First serve is scheduled for Friday at 6 PM.
