WINTER PARK, Fla. – The Saint Leo University volleyball opened its weekend in Winter Park for a meeting with the Rollins College Tars. Saint Leo kept all three sets close but came up short in a 3-0 road loss at Rollins. Alexa Gandolfo led the Lions with nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage, while Giada Solorzano added 13 digs and Molly Chappell contributed six kills and 10 digs. The Green & Gold fall to 1-11 overall and 0-7 in SSC play. 

Saint Leo hit .115 as a team with 29 kills and 16 errors on 113 attempts on Thursday evening. Freshman Alexa Gandolfo led the Lions with nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage, while Molly Chappell followed with six kills and 10 digs. Senior setter Tajma Muharemovic totaled 13 assists and three kills, while libero Giada Solorzano anchored the defense with a team-high 13 digs. Emma LeTourneau added four block assists, and Anastasia Azzan served up two aces in the match.

How It Happened: ROLLINS  3, SAINT LEO 0
Set 1 | Rollins 25, Saint Leo 21
The Lions came out sharp, using a balanced attack to trade points with the Tars throughout the opening set. Gandolfo and Chappell provided key kills as Saint Leo built an early 10-8 lead, while Solorzano kept plays alive in the back row. Rollins responded late with a 5-1 run to pull ahead, but the Lions continued to fight before falling 25-21.
 
Set 2 | Rollins 25, Saint Leo 18
Saint Leo kept pace early in the second, trailing by just two at 13-11 behind a stretch of kills from Valentin and Chappell. Muharemovic distributed the ball efficiently, and Azzan added a pair of service aces to keep the Lions close. Rollins found a late rhythm offensively, stringing together a few key points to take the set 25-18.
 
Set 3 | Rollins 25, Saint Leo 20
The Lions once again showed resilience in the third set, taking multiple early leads behind Gandolfo's steady play at the net. Muharemovic and Solorzano continued to control the flow on both ends, and LeTourneau provided a strong presence at the block. Despite staying within a few points throughout, Rollins capitalized on late opportunities to close out the match 25-20.

Inside the Numbers

• Saint Leo hit .115 as a team compared to Rollins' .254.
• Alexa Gandolfo led with nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
• Molly Chappell followed with six kills and 10 digs.
• Tajma Muharemovic recorded 13 assists, three kills, and six digs.
• Giada Solorzano led the team with 13 digs.
• Emma LeTourneau tallied four block assists.
• Anastasia Azzan served two aces.
• The Lions totaled six service aces and six team blocks while keeping each set within striking distance.

 
UP NEXT
Saint Leo is back on in action on Saturday in St. Petersburg to take on the Tritons of Eckerd College at 4 p.m.