ORLANDO, Fla. - West Florida (16-5, 10-0 GSC) rallied but couldn't generate enough momentum to overcome Nova Southeastern (13-6, 7-4 SSC) on Friday afternoon as NSU won 3-0 (28-26, 25-20, 26-24) on the first day of the 2023 SSC vs. GSC South Region Crossover at the Game Point Events Center. 
 
The Sharks won the hitting percentage battle in each of the first two frames and gained the upper hand outright .250 to .186 and narrowly won each major stat margin. 
 
The team representing the hosting Sunshine State Conference overcame an early deficit in the opening set to lead by as many as seven points before UWF broke off 5-0 and 4-0 runs to improbably reach set point first. However, NSU tied it back and the teams volleyed set points and responses before the Sharks scored the last three points to go up 1-0 with a 28-26 win. Avery Rodgers scored three of her team's last five kills and brought it to set points of 24-23 and 25-24. 
 
It appeared that momentum from the rally would carry over as the Argos scored the second set's first three points, with Caiden Largent scoring two kills in the span. UWF would take three more narrow leads in the period, but the Sharks responded each time with runs of their own to keep the former at bay.
 
Unfortunately, the final set was the same song, third verse. The Argonauts took their second four-point lead in the set at 17-13, and after NSU responded to the second one with a 7-1 run, UWF came close to taking this one to Set 4 with their own 6-1 span to take set point 24-21. Largent added two more kills, and Gabi Moulton and Bailee Sterling each gained one and split on a block. However, NSU promptly scored the last five points to win it, as Brittany Landrum and Nadia Lindner each scored two kills and shared a block. 
 
Sterling led the offense with 11 kills and 12.5 points and Rodgers put in seven kills. Meg Brackhan scooped 14 attacks, and Largent added seven to go with her six kills. Moulton poured in 18 assists and three kills. Jenna Zydlo assisted four blocks while Annie Monaco assisted three more. 

The Argos open their Crossover Day 2 slate with Florida Southern at 12:15 pm ET/11:15 am CT before closing in the final window against the No. 3 team in the land, 18-0 Tampa, at 7 pm ET/6 pm CT.
 
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