BRADENTON, Fla. - New College of Florida Volleyball opened Sun Conference play with a 3-1 victory over Ave Maria University on Saturday at Bradenton Christian School.
After dropping the opening set, the Mighty Banyans responded with consecutive double-digit victories before closing out the Gyrenes in a tightly contested fourth set. NCF earned the victory 23-25, 25-10, 25-15, 27-25.
The Mighty Banyans improved to 9-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play with the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Ave Maria took an early lead after holding off NCF for a 25-23 victory in the opening set.
The Mighty Banyans responded emphatically in the second, holding the Gyrenes to four kills and forcing 11 attacking errors during a 25-10 victory.
NCF carried the momentum into the third set, recording 15 kills without an attacking error to hit .517. The Mighty Banyans pulled away for a 25-15 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set featured 13 ties and seven lead changes as Ave Maria attempted to force a deciding fifth set. NCF remained composed down the stretch and secured a 27-25 victory to complete the conference-opening win.
Wiktoria Telecka led the Mighty Banyans with 18 kills, six service aces and four total blocks for a match-high 27.5 points. Madison Goin added 12 kills on a .423 hitting percentage, three aces and two solo blocks.
Addison Phillippe directed the offense with 43 assists and added eight digs. Khalia Horta led the defense with a match-high 28 digs, while Soraya Nacero recorded 15 digs and seven kills.
Jessica McKee finished with five kills and three solo blocks, while Cecilia Soragna added four kills and two solo blocks.
THE TURNING POINT
After dropping the opening set, NCF took control by dominating the next two frames.
The Mighty Banyans outscored Ave Maria 50-25 across the second and third sets, including a third-set performance in which NCF committed no attacking errors. That surge gave NCF a 2-1 advantage before it prevailed in a back-and-forth fourth set.
BY THE NUMBERS
1-0
NCF's record in Sun Conference play following Saturday's conference opener.
.517
The Mighty Banyans' hitting percentage in the third set.
12
Solo blocks recorded by NCF.
11
Service aces recorded by the Mighty Banyans.
.008
Ave Maria's hitting percentage for the match.
MATCH STAT LEADERS
Kills: Wiktoria Telecka - 18
Assists: Addison Phillippe - 43
Digs: Khalia Horta - 28
Service Aces: Wiktoria Telecka - 6
Total Blocks: Wiktoria Telecka - 4.0
Total Points: Wiktoria Telecka - 27.5
UP NEXT: NCF will travel to Lakeland on Wednesday for a Sun Conference match against No. 25 Southeastern University at 6:30 p.m.
