NASHVILLE – Despite giving Jacksonville University its first set loss in conference play on Saturday night inside Allen Arena, the Lipscomb University volleyball team dropped the match to the co-leaders in four sets. 

Final Score: Jacksonville 3, Lipscomb 1 (22-25, 18-25, 25-17, 16-25)
Location: Allen Arena
Records: Lipscomb (7-9, 3-3), Jacksonville (15-3, 6-0)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The two teams went back and forth to start the match. Ahead 12-10, Jacksonville extended the lead to 15-12 at media break on a block assist by Claire Mrukowski and Haley Yount. 

Coming out of the media, LUV went on a 5-1 run that saw a service ace by Sophia Hudepohl and a block by Brooklyn Fuchs and Anna Claire Brown that flipped the lead to 18-16. 

JU came back strong out of the timeout with a 5-1 run of their own to reclaim the lead for good, 21-19, en route to a 25-22 set one victory.

Set two saw the Dolphins sprint out to a 7-2 lead before LUV had to burn a timeout early. 

The Bisons got back into it with a 7-3 run thanks to kills from Berkley Mischler and another assisted block by Fuchs and Brown. However, the Dolphins restored order and used 11 attack errors from the Bisons, including five blocks, to cruise to a set two win, 25-18. 

Tied at four in set three, LUV strung together three straight points that led to a 6-1 run. Fuchs and Allison Barrick each had two kills during the stretch. 

Ahead 16-11, JU made things interesting. Kills by Mrukowski and a block trimmed the Lipscomb lead to 17-14.

Coming out of the timeout, Sophia Hudepohl restored order with a setter dump and a service ace two points later to lead 20-14. 

After an attack error to force set point for Lipscomb, Fuchs slammed down a kill to avoid the sweep and hand Jacksonville its first set loss of the season in league play. 

After hitting over .100 in the first two sets, the Bisons hit .333 thanks to 17 kills and five attack errors on 36 swings. The Dolphins were limited to six kills in the frame. 

In the fourth set, the Dolphins used three blocks early to take the early 8-3 lead. Totaling six of their 16 blocks in the frame, JU rolled to a 25-16 set four win to remain unbeaten in league play.

QUOTABLE
Hear from Brandon Rosenthal after the match. 


KEY STATISTICS
Allison Barrick recorded a career-best 12 kills, while Berkley Mischler also had 12 spikes. 

Kenzie Kucks recorded a match-high 15 digs, while Sophia Hudepohl totaled 40 assists, 12 digs and a season-high four aces. 

UP NEXT
Lipscomb's next three matches will be away from Allen Arena. The first leg of the trip begins with a rematch of the 2024 ASUN Tournament with Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers on Friday.