Saint Leo University Athletics

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Saint Leo University volleyball team jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in its final match of the Coker Cobra Classic Saturday morning, but the host Cobras fought back and forced a fifth set. The home team was able to rally to take the decisive fifth set handing the Lions their second loss of the season.
 
Freshman Reagan Lyerla made her collegiate debut in the match and finished with a team-best 13 kills and three service aces. She also added a pair of blocks to her total and tallied just five hitting errors on 55 swings. Junior Mina Kostic continued her strong start to the season with 10 kills on 28 swings with just one error. The Belgrade, Serbia native tallied a .321 attack percentage while also adding a team-best four blocks.
 
Junior Gina Stavile and sophomore Alexa Gandolfo each finished with nine kills in the setback while also adding three digs each. Sophomores Bridget Gallagher and Camila Villar split time at setter with Gallagher dishing out 23 assists while Villar added 13. Gallagher earned a double-double as she chipped in 12 digs as well.
 
Junior Mia Moser dug up a career-best 28 balls, surpassing her previous best of 26 set last season on Halloween versus Florida Tech. Senior Sabrina Valentin joined her in double-figures with 14 digs.
 
The first set was back-and-forth throughout but with the Lions trailing 23-22 late in the period Lyerla connected on a kill from Villar to tie the set at 23-23. She then stepped to the service line and picked up one of her team-best three service aces. The final point of the rally came on a Valentin kill giving the Lions a 25-23 victory.
 
In the beginning of the second set the Lions found themselves down 12-4 early. Eventually trailing 22-15, the Lions outscored the Cobras 11-2 to take a 26-24 win. The Cobras had set point at 24-21 but a service error followed by an ace from Moser cut the lead to just one. A block from Lyerla and junior Chloe Danielson tied the set before kills from Danielson and Stavile ended the set 26-24.
 
The third set was back-and-forth similar to the first set but with the score tied at 17-17 the Cobras began an 8-2 run to close out the set 25-19.
 
The fourth set was all Cobras as they jumped out to an early lead and went on to win 25-15. The fifth and final set started like the first and third sets as both teams were even through 12 points, 6-6. The Cobras used a 4-0 spurt to take a 10-6 lead but the Lions responded with a 4-1 run of their own to cut the deficit to 11-10. The Cobras scored the next three points to force match point at 14-10. A block by Lyerla and Kostic ended the run and an attack error by the Cobras gave the Lions life at 14-12 but a final attack error from Saint Leo ended the match at 15-12.
 
The Lions will be back in action next weekend at the Flagler Saints Invitational. Saint Leo will take on Maryville, Flagler, Lees-McRae and Valdosta State in an action-packed weekend Sept. 4-5.