PENSACOLA, Fla. – The eighth-ranked University of West Florida volleyball team swept a pair of games against UNC-Pembroke and Oklahoma Baptist on Friday at the Walk-On's UWF Invitational, before falling in a ranked matchup to No. 17 Lewis on Saturday afternoon. West Florida is now 8-3 and will start Gulf South Conference play on Tuesday against Valdosta State.
Avery Rodgers,
Jenna Zydlo, and
Taylor Vaneekeren each earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Rodgers hit .365 with 29 kills over 10 sets, Zydlo led all players with a .449 hitting percentage on the weekend, and Vaneekeren's 115 assists in the tournament were the most.
UWF hit a tournament-best .315 over the weekend and led all five teams in assists per set (13.40), kills per set (14.20), and service aces per set (2.10).
GAME 1: UWF 3, UNC Pembroke 0
West Florida put together a dominant effort to start its weekend, sweeping UNC Pembroke. The Argonauts hit an even .500 in the first set, with a commanding 25-13 set victory after jumping out to a 12-2 lead to start things off.
It was relatively smooth sailing in sets two and three as well.
Camila Vazquez led all players with 13 kills in the match, and she and Rodgers led the way inn the second set. Rodgers would wrap up the game with 10 kills – she has six contests with double-digit kills already this year.
UWF's .412 attack percentage in the match was the best in a single game in the tournament.
With 13 kills in the match, Vazquez hit .632 – the best single-game mark among all players over the weekend.
GAME 2: UWF 3, Oklahoma Baptist 0
West Florida finished off Friday with a clean sweep over Oklahoma Baptist – the top defensive team over the weekend. The Lady Bisons posted the best opponent hitting percentage (.122) and had the most blocks (37) and forced errors (89), but the Argonaut offense was dominant.
UWF hit a stunning .363 against OBU – the second-best mark in a match among all teams during the weekend. Senior
Kierra Potts picked up 12 kills, Zydlo had 9, and
Alex Oliver and Rodgers had 8, while Vaneekeren tallied 38 assists.
The first set stayed close until UWF rallied off six consecutive points to stretch the lead to 21-14, and it was a similar story in the second set. The third and final set proved to be no trouble for UWF, as the Argonauts jumped ahead 12-3 early in the set and cruised to the sweep.
GAME 3: UWF 1, #17 Lewis 3
The Saturday matinee was a bit of a mixed bag. Lewis took the first set 28-26 before UWF cruised to a 25-18 win in the second. After Lewis won the third 25-18, the Argonauts held tight in the fourth.
An eight-point Lewis rally gave the Flyers a 13-8 advantage, but the Argos battled back and tied the game at 18-18 and 22-22, before three consecutive points for LU capped off the win.
Zydlo led UWF with 13 kills, Rodgers had 11, and Vazquez had 10.
Meg Brackhan had an impressive 21 digs,
Kierra Potts had 13, and Vaneekeren added 14 diggs to her 42 assists.
For information on the team, visit GoArgos.com or follow @UWFVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
2022 Walk-On's UWF Invitational All-Tournament Team
Avery Rodgers (UWF)
Bella Ray (Lewis)
D'Errika Frierson (OBU)
Maci Langford (OBU)
Jenna Zydlo (UWF)
Taylor Vaneekeren (UWF)
Juliana Van Loo (Lewis)
Kassandra Fairly (Spring Hill)
#ARGOS#