MACOMB, Ill. -- Competing in the last day of the Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational, the Knights were topped by Evansville on Saturday afternoon in four sets (25-17, 25-14, 17-25, 25-21).
In the first set, the Aces jumped out to an early 12-3 lead. Looking to find rhythm, Erika Sullivan and Allison Koester led the charge for the Burgundy and Blue. Sullivan contributed multiple kills in the first set, and along with some key Koester sets, both players had the Knights charging.
Rallying late, a Brooke Stevens kill brought the Knights within 6 at 22-16; however, Evansville responded by taking three of the next four points to seal the first-set victory 25-17.
In the second set, FDU ignited out of the gates, jumping on the Aces early, 7-3. Contributing to the early success in the second set were kills by Nataliya Rybakova, Erin Singer and Jessica Throckmorton.
Despite the early success, the Aces put on a ferocious rally. With the Knights hosting a 10-6 lead, Evansville scored 13 of the next 15 points to jump ahead of FDU, 19-12. Looking to provide a spark, Sullivan provided back-to-back points off of a kill and a service ace, but the Purple Aces took the set, 25-14.
Needing a win in the third set, the Knights put on an impressive set. The beginning of the set saw the Purple Aces and Knights go back and forth trading point for point. That changed midway through the set. FDU scored five of six points, with Sullivan and Stevens teaming up to block a potential Evansville point, later on followed by an Abigail Strebig kill to make FDU jump ahead, 13-7.
Taking advantage of service errors by Evansville, kills from Throckmorton and Strebig sealed a third set win for the Knights, 25-17.
Trailing 2-1, the two evenly matched teams traded points early on in the fourth set. The Knights tallied points from kills by Stevens, Singer, and Throckmorton. With the score deadlocked at 17, Koester set up Singer, who demolished the assist by earning the point with a kill, giving FDU the late lead.
The Purple Aces wound up edging out FDU, scoring eight of the next 11 points to take the fourth and final set, 25-21.
Sullivan paced the team with 10 kills, followed by Throckmorton who tallied nine. McKenna Setterlund led the team with 17 assists, as Koester dished out 14 assists for FDU.
The Burgundy and Blue defensive performance were led by Jaelyn Young, who had 16 digs. Throckmorton tallied 15 digs, and Sullivan recorded 12 digs.
In a team effort, the Knights registered four aces. Emma Liller, Setterlund, Sullivan, and Throckmorton each recorded an ace.
Up next, the Knights will partake in the Friar Classic on August 31, in Providence, Rhode Island. The Burgundy and Blue will first face off against Brown on Friday at 5:00 p.m. (EST).
