DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Embry-Riddle won the final two sets Friday night to escape the grip of the Saint Leo volleyball team 3-2 in Daytona Beach in a key NCAA South Region match-up. The Eagles and Lions entered Friday night's match ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, in the most recent NCAA South Region standings and both teams looked to improve their postseason chances with a win.
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The Lions held the momentum heading into the fourth set and were just a few points away from ending the match before a late surge gave the Eagles a 26-24 win in the period. Embry-Riddle went on to jump out to a 9-3 lead in the fifth set before hanging on for the narrow 15-12 win.
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The loss drops the Lions record to 13-13 overall and 8-7 in Sunshine State Conference play while the Eagles improved to 17-8 on the year and 8-7 in league action.
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Freshman setter
Cassandra Kamien was all over the court on Friday as she dished out 55 assists while also leading the team with 30 digs. The match marks the first 30-dig performance of Kamien's young career.
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She handed most of those assists to the quartet of sophomore
Ashley Quero and juniors
Nina Vattovaz,
Victoria Omoregie and
Annabella Arcari. Quero had a match-high 19 kills while Vattovaz added 17. Omoregie chipped in 15 followed by Arcari with 12.
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The two teams combined for 29 blocks in the contest with Embry-Riddle picking up 18. Arcari led the Lions defensive effort with nine blocks including one solo stop while Omoregie finished with five.
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Saint Leo hit just .169 as a team with 36 errors in the match. The Eagles did not fare much better at .186 with 24 errors.
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ERAU was led by Erika Barbour who finished with 14 kills and six digs.
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Saint Leo will continue its four-match road swing at Florida Tech Saturday afternoon with a 4 p.m. match. Â Â
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For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo volleyball, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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