PITTSBURGH, Pa. --- No set was decided by more than three points, but in clutch time the Jacksonville Dolphins got it done to complete a straight-sets win (26-24, 28-26, 25-22) over the Wright State Raiders Saturday afternoon in the Panther Challenge.
The Dolphins were led by
Abbie Tuyo, who led the team with 14 kills while hitting .419. Her 14 kills are a new career high in a three-set match. She was one of three JU players in double figures, as
Claire Mrukowski and
Jaylyn Tuiasosopo finished with 12 kills each.
Set One
From the opening points, the margins between the two teams were razor thin. Wright State took the first four points, but neither side would lead by more than three the rest of the set. The Dolphins took their first lead of the game, 11-10, off of
Abbie Tuyo's first kill of the day.
Tuyo put Jacksonville on set point first, taking a 24-23 lead. After the Raiders answered,
Jaylyn Tuiasosopo fired away with a kill to put JU back on set point. The defense would give the opener to the Dolphins, with
Addison Krieger and
Claire Mrukowski rising above the net to close it out.
Set Two
Somehow the second set was even closer than the first. Tuyo fired a kill to take a 12-7 lead, but the rest of the set would be played within four points. Wright State rallied with a run to take a 17-15 lead, but the Dolphins answered right back.
Jacksonville took the next five points to take pole position in the set. Tuiasosopo had two kills in the run, including a slicing shot to the outside.
The Raiders had the response, though, and pushed the Dolphins to the brink. Wright State reached set point twice late, looking to tie the match at one set a piece. Each time JU dug in and found a response.
Mrukowski powered home a kill to tie the set at 26, then back-to-back Raider errors led Jacksonville to the win.
Set Three
Wright State led early in the third, but the Dolphins were never too far away. Mrukowski powered home her 11th kill of the day to tie the game at 11 early on.
It looked like the Raiders would get a set back, though, taking a 20-17 lead late into the set. That's when Jacksonville turned in one of its best runs of the day. Two Tuiasosopo kills bookended three Wright State errors for a set-altering 5-0 run.
A JU block put the 'Phins on set point, and then Tuiasosopo's fourth kill of the set closed things out for a Jacksonville sweep.
Match Notes
- The Dolphins hit .340 as a team, their fourth match this season hitting at least .340.
- Tuyo recorded her fourth performance this season with double-digit kills and the 21st such performance in her career.
- Freshman setter Ana Nastase tallied a team-high 17 assists, a new career high in a three-set match. She has four matches with at least 15 assists this season.
- The Dolphins now have two wins this season against teams that won their conference last season: Florida A&M and Wright State.
Head Coach Alicia Manguiat
"That was a great win for this group! It wasn't perfect, but it was gritty and resilient. Each match we are learning more about the identity of this team. Today we learned that we have some fight in us."
Up Next
The Dolphins will close their run in the Panther Challenge Sunday morning against High Point. First serve is slated for 11 AM.
