WINTER PARK, Fla. (Nov. 18, 2023) – The Rollins volleyball team closed out the 2023 season with a hard-fought 3-2 defeat on Saturday, coming back from two sets down to force a fifth set, but ultimately coming up short against Palm Beach Atlantic, 25-18, 25-17, 14-25, 21-25, 15-11. The loss drops the Tars to 15-16 overall and 7-13 in SSC play, while PBA ends the year with a 13-16 mark, 7-13 in conference matches.
Jadyn Troutman led the Tars with 13 kills and added four blocks (two solo), while
Emily Diaz tallied 12 kills and
Lana Gerard chipped in with 11 kills and six digs.
Natalie Horsley had a team-leading 39 assists and
Adriana Lopez collected a match-best 15 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One
- Palm Beach Atlantic won the opening seven points and never trailed for the remainder of the first set.
- Rollins fought back, using a 7-2 run to get within three points at 14-11, but the Tars couldn't pull any closer as PBA won the frame, 25-18.
Set Two
- The Sailfish got off to a strong start in set two as well, opening up a 6-2 lead and pushing it to 15-7.
- The Tars weren't able to string together more than two consecutive points as PBA took the set, 25-17, to go up 2-0 in the match.
Set Three
- The third set saw Rollins start strong, taking an early 7-2 lead.
- The Sailfish got back to within two points at 7-5, but couldn't close the gap any further.
- The Blue and Gold ran away with it late, ending the frame on an 11-2 burst to win it, 25-14.
Set Four
- The Tars again jumped in front in the fourth set, opening up an 8-4 lead.
- PBA went on a 5-2 run to trim the deficit to a single point at 13-12, but Rollins scored the next three points to re-establish a four-point cushion at 16-12.
- A 6-1 spurt by Palm Beach Atlantic tied the set at 20, but after a Rollins timeout the home team rallied to score four straight, earning set point at 24-20.
- After a sideout by the Sailfish, a PBA service error closed the book on set four with Rollins taking it, 25-20, to tie the match at two sets apiece.
Set Five
- Rollins raced out to a 5-2 lead in the fifth, only to see the Sailfish fight back to tie it up at five.
- The Tars got the next two points, but a 6-1 run by PBA gave the visitors control with a 12-9 lead.
- The two teams traded sideouts for the next four points until Palm Beach Atlantic clinched the match with a kill to win the fifth set, 15-11.
UP NEXT:
The Tars will wait to see if they will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA II Tournament. The Selection Show airs on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 PM.
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