HACKENSACK, N.J.- The FDU Knights (2-12) played in their home opener versus the Temple Owls (8-4). The squads played into five sets, with the Knights taking the first and third sets. Sophomore setter Isabella Scarfone provided a career best 39 assists, while the Knights additionally out-blocked the Owls by a 14-11 margin.
The Knights found themselves in a 6-0 deficit early in the first set.The fight began with a pair of freshman kills, the first from Mila Samardzija and the second from Kiah Lopez. FDU found their stride, fighting back within two following an Ava Deguzman service ace to trail 9-7.
FDU took their first lead of the evening off a four-point-run after trailing 12-9. Samardzija began the burst, with Lopez and Angela Marchetto getting a tandem block. Marchetto capped off the burst with a pair of kills from the center of the floor. FDU led 13-12.
Temple retook a late lead, boasting an 19-18 advantage over the home squad. From there, the Knights finished the set perfect, scoring the final seven points of the set. The highlight of the run was the FDU defense, forcing five uncaused attacking errors. Marchetto and Lopez helped add two blocks, to give the Knights set one, 25-19.
FDU picked up where they left off in the second stanza of action. An ace from Samardzija helped cap off a three-point-run from the Knights who were leading 3-1. A later trifecta from FDU gave the Knights an 8-6 lead.The latter burst included a kill and blocking assist from Alessia Zampieri.
The visiting Owls flew out to a 15-10 lead over the Knights, with the Owl's miscues continuing to keep FDU within striking distance. A late flurry of points from the Knights gave them a chance, with a kill from Deguzman and a dual block from Zampieri and Scarfone helping the Knights work back into a 22-16 contest. The Owls held off the Knights, taking the second set 25-18
Even at 2-2 early, two Temple errors and a Madeline Joyce ace gave FDU a 5-2 edge. The Knights maintained a steady two-point lead over the Owls, with critical kills coming from Scarfone and Deguzman coming to help preserve FDU's lead.
A decisive stretch for the Knights came late in the set, with two kills from Samardzija and a double-block from Zampieri and Scarfone lifting the Knights to a 20-15 lead. The Owls made efforts to cut into the lead, giving the Knights a 23-21 scare before Ava Deguzman and an attacking error called curtains on the third set, 25-21 FDU.
Trailing 4-1, the Knights took back the lead in the early stages of the fourth set. Deguzman and Zampieri each dealt kills, before Maddie Joyce fired two aces. The Knights led 5-4. Two more kills from Lopez and three assisted blocks from the Knights helped the squad preserve a 12-11 lead.
The Owls found their footing, scoring nine of the next ten points to reassert themselves, 20-13. Temple only surrendered one more point, as they took the third set, 25-15.
Samardzija dished out the first point of the set before Temple rattled off five unanswered points. An attacking error and a kill from Lopez helped the Knights get back on the board as the Knights trailed 5-3.
The teams exchanged scores in the middle points of the fifth set, as the Owls held onto a 10-6 lead. Temple found four consecutive points before Marchetto recorded another kill and Scarfone landed an ace. Temple ended the final set off a kill, besting the Knights 15-8.
The Knights are back on the road at UAlbany, playing at 2 p.m. on AmericaEast.com
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