Owls Even AAC East Race With Four-set Win Over USF Thursday

Thursday, November 16

Boca Raton, Fla.

6 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

19-11,11-6AAC

South Florida

17-11,11-6AAC

South Fla.

Fla. Atlantic

11/16/2023 10:47:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic volleyball (19-11, 11-6 AAC) earned a huge win on Thursday, topping the previous AAC East leader South Florida (17-11, 11-6 AAC) in four sets to tie the Bulls in the race for the AAC East championship.

Florida Atlantic 3 – USF 1

Valeria Rosado and Arianna Beckham led the Owls in the win. Rosado posted her team-leading 10^th double-double of the season with a team-leading 16 kills and 10 digs. Beckham also posted a double-double, tallying a team second-best 11 kills and adding a career-best 10 blocks, and narrowly missed a triple-double with eight digs. Victoria Hensley led the Owls in assists, dishing out a team-high 30 assists and tallying the Owls' third double-double with a team-high 11 digs, marking her seventh double-double of the season.

After battling through a 2-2 tie, the Owl produced an 8-1 run to take a 10-3 lead early in the first. The Owls maintained the advantage through a 19-12 lead before the Bulls attempted to rally, cutting the Owls' lead to three, 19-16, following a 4-0 USF run, however, the Owls responded with 4-0 run of their own before securing the final two points of the set off a Bulls' attack error and a kill from Rosado to capture the opening lead, 25-20.

The Owls and the Bulls traded runs to open set two, eventually leading to a 7-4 USF lead. The Owls got two back off kills from Rosado and Madison Dyer to cut the deficit to 7-6, however the Owls struggled to battle back in the second as the Bulls wouldn't relinquish the set lead and eventually even the match up at one, 25-20.

Florida Atlantic took an early 6-3 lead to open the third, but the Bulls battled back, scoring four unanswered to take their first lead of the set at 7-6. The set remained even through a 12-12 tie, before the Owls went on a 9-4 run to retake the lead at 21-16. The two squads traded points before the Owls eventually captured the 25-20 win and retook the 2-1 match advantage.

USF took the early lead in the fourth, opening the set on a 6-2 run. The Bulls extended their lead to six, 15-9, after an 11-7 run. The Bulls maintained a four-point lead, holding a 20-16 advantage late in the fourth. But the Owls locked in, battling back on a 5-1 run to bring things even at 21-21 following a Bulls' attacking error. Katelynn Robine and Dyer combined for the block to give the Owls their first lead of the set since the set-opening point. The Owls and the Bulls battled back and forth through a 25-25 stalemate, but Rosado connected on her 16^th kill of the match and then Dyer and Beckham combined for the block to tally the final two points of the match as the Owls secured the 3-1 win after the 27-25 victory.

Up Next

The Owls now set their eyes on a AAC East title as they look to close out the series against the USF Bulls on Friday, Nov. 17 for senior day. First serve is set for 2 p.m.

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