WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — UIndy successfully executed the reverse sweep to defeat Palm Beach Atlantic and extend their win streak to nine in their first match of the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach.
The win over the Sailfish marks the Hounds' first reverse sweep under Head Coach
Haley Case and the program's first since Sept. 27, 2024.
INS & OUTS
Freshman
Grace Portwood put the Greyhounds on the board first in the fifth set with an assist from Haralson after the Hounds worked back into the match from a two-set deficit. The Sailfish followed with three straight points before the Hounds went on a 7-3 run to take the lead 8-6, which would carry them through the end of the match. The Hounds used three straight kills to secure the reverse sweep, with Mackenzie Pflederer capitalizing off a
Macy Bruton assist for the final point of the match.
The Greyhounds moved ahead 7-4 in the fourth set behind kills from Blomberg and Pflederer, but Palm Beach Atl. answered with a four-point stretch that included a Kaelynn Sims ace and a Sydney Corbett kill to go in front 10-8. The Greyhounds came back with a Pflederer kill, a Palm Beach Atl. attack error and a Lynch kill to retake an 11-10 edge, and the teams continued trading points through a 20-20 tie. The Greyhounds created separation from there, scoring three straight on two Palm Beach Atl. attack errors and a Jansen block to lead 23-20. After Palm Beach Atl. cut the margin to 24-23, a Blomberg and Jansen block on Leah Burlison's attack closed the set 25-23 for the Greyhounds and force a fifth set.
After the teams traded points to 5-5, the Greyhounds scored four straight on
Maddie Pennington's serve, using a Blomberg and
Kelsey McKenney block and a Blomberg kill to move ahead 9-5. Palm Beach Atl. got back to 9-7 with help from a service ace, but the Greyhounds answered with kills by Blomberg, Lynch and McKenney and a Haralson ace to make it 13-7. After Palm Beach Atl. closed to 13-10, Lynch had kills at the start and end of a four-point Greyhounds stretch that made it 17-10, and Portwood's kill and
Macy Bruton's ace later pushed the lead to 19-11. The Greyhounds reached 24-17 on Pflederer's kill, and after Palm Beach Atl. took the next two points, Lynch closed the set with a kill for a 25-19 win.
After the Greyhounds stayed within 5-4 on kills from Lynch and
Caitlin Blomberg, the Sailfish used two Kaelynn Sims kills and a Greyhounds attack error to move ahead 8-4, and Palm Beach Atl. later stretched the lead to 11-5 on consecutive Sydney Corbett kills and a block by Erin Guffin and Katie Silcott. The Greyhounds pulled back to 11-9 behind a Portwood kill, a Lynch kill, Lynch's block on Silcott, and a Palm Beach Atlantic attack error, the Sailfish answered with nine straight points to build a 20-9 advantage as Silcott served two aces and assisted kills by Corbett and Ava McIntyre during the run. Portwood stopped that stretch with a kill, and Lynch and
Shelby Emich added late kills before Sims' kill gave Palm Beach Atl. the set, 25-13.
The opening set stayed tight through 14-14, with the Greyhounds getting early kills from Lynch, Jansen and
Riley Laine before back-to-back Pflederer kills turned an 11-10 deficit into a 12-11 lead. Palm Beach Atlantic moved in front 17-14 on kills by Leah Burlison, Ava McIntyre and Sydney Corbett, but Portwood's kill and Haralson's ace brought the Greyhounds back within 17-16 before Palm Beach Atlantic reached 20-17. The Greyhounds tied the set at 20-20 on a Lynch kill and consecutive blocks involving Jansen, then again at 22-22 on a Lynch kill and Jansen block, but McIntyre gave Palm Beach Atlantic set point at 24-23 and closed the 25-23 set with an ace.
INSIDE THE BOX
-Lynch recorded a season's best 20 kills hitting from a .395 clip
-Jansen tied her career best with 8 blocks agianst the Sailfish
- Harilson and Fonda combined for 45 assists, marking the second time this season the two setters have recorded at least 20 apiece.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds return for day two of the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m. to face Nova Southeastern in West Palm Beach, Florida.
