Boca Raton, Fla. – Rollins battled to the wire on Friday night but came up just short in a five-set heartbreaker to the 10th-ranked Fighting Knights of Lynn (16–25, 20–25, 25–13, 28–26, 8–15).
The Tars started hot, jumping out to a 6–1 lead behind early kills and an ace from Marta Tsaneva. Lynn regrouped quickly, rallying to retake the lead and trading points until a six-point surge closed out the first set for the hosts. The second frame followed a similar pattern, with Rollins building a small cushion before another late Lynn run flipped the score to make it 2–0. The Tars found their rhythm in the third, using a 6–1 run fueled by Tawnee Shaw's serve to take control and extend the lead en route to a dominant set win. The fourth set turned into a back-and-forth thriller, featuring 13 ties and eight lead changes. Rollins fought off multiple set points before back-to-back kills from Tsaneva and Rylee Yarborough capped a gritty finish to even the match at two sets apiece. The deciding fifth saw both teams trade points early, but Lynn found a late run to edge ahead and hold on for the win.
Tsaneva led the Rollins offense with 14 kills, followed by Yarborough with nine. Setters Molly Morris and Jenna Garza guided the attack with 17 assists each, while Garza added three service aces. Cameron Grange matched that mark with three aces of her own and chipped in 13 digs, while libero Sarah Seabrooke anchored the defense with a team-high 20 digs. At the net, Robinson Repass posted a standout blocking performance with seven total blocks, including two solos.
With the loss, Rollins moves to 14–11 overall and 3–9 in SSC play, while Lynn improves to 18–4 (8–4 SSC). The Tars continue their road trip on Saturday, Nov. 1, with a 4 p.m. matchup against No. 3 Barry in Miami Shores.
