PENSACOLA, Fla. - The No. 15 Argonauts (13-4, 7-0 GSC) won one of two close middle sets and ran away with the first and fourth frames to defeat Alabama Huntsville (9-5, 5-2 GSC) 3-1 (25-10, 23-25, 25-23, 25-14) on its second annual Silent Set Night on Friday night in front of a raucous UWF Field House.
UWF led in almost every major statistical category. The home team generated 51 kills while holding the Chargers to just 38 on just two fewer errors to win the hitting game .174 to .071, including eye-popping margins of .520 to .087 in the opening frame and .143 to -.059 in the final one. The Argonauts are undefeated on Silent Set Night and improve their all-time record against UAH to 31-6.
Annie Monaco had her best performance as an Argo, as the Robert Morris transfer tallied 14 kills and 19 points while connecting on .355 percent of her attacks in addition to four total blocks with two solo and two assisted, a pair of aces and 11 digs.
Avery Rodgers poured in 10 kills with 12 total points.
Bailee Sterling collected seven kills on a .294 outing, four blocks and seven digs.
Jacque Martin added seven kills of her own in a .235 performance off the bench.
Meg Brackhan put up 18 digs. Setters
Izabelle Sanchez and
Gabi Moulton combined for 37 assists and 12 digs.
A 7-0 run led to an early 10-2 lead for UWF in the first set. A 5-0 run consisting of three Monaco kills, a Sterling kill and a Sanchez ace gave the Argos set point, which they turned into a 25-10 final score on a service error. UAH came into the second set ready to put the early disappointment behind them. The Chargers mostly matched UWF point for point and run for run until a clinching 3-0 span that the latter almost stopped when the would-be winning point for UAH had to be replayed due to an incorrect ruling of a fourth touch on the hosts.
The third frame followed the same back-and-forth script, except when trailing 15-13, the Argonauts utilized an 8-3 run to get back in the driver's seat. The Chargers made things interesting at set point when two Autumn Mayes kills made the score 24-23, but Martin secured a kill to tuck the set away.
The Argos then ran away with the fourth frame after surrendering the opening point, as they scored the next five on three errors, one via a block by
Jenna Zydlo and
Damyah Joyner, and kills from Moulton and Zydlo. A 4-0 span that pushed the lead to 10-3 consisted of a Monaco kill, a block by Rodgers and Sterling and two Rodgers kills. Martin won this set via kill as well as she scored the last two off assists from Sanchez and Brackhan.
UWF returns to the Field House to play the last game in this stretch of five home matches tomorrow as it takes on Montevallo at 12:30 p.m.
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