The Lady Bucs Volleyball team opened up A-Sun conference play with an exciting 3-2 win over rival Jacksonville Friday night.
Amanda Youell, a transfer from Jacksonville, showed her familiarity with her former team with dazzling play around the net, ending with an astounding series-high 52 sets.
The Bucs took the first game with a 30-27 win. Defensive player Kaena Apana had a game-high six defensive digs.
The Bucs got ready to avenge last season’s tournament loss, but Jacksonville stormed back winning the second game of the contest 30-23.
Whatever Lady Bucs head coach Lindsey Devine said to her girls in the locker room at intermission apparently worked as the Bucs completely dismantled the Jacksonville Dolphins 30-14.
Youell piled in 13 sets and Erin Ryan lead the team with 4 kills but more impressively no errors.
On the defensive end Apana continued to make her living doing the dirty work with another six defensive digs.
In the fourth game offensive standouts Ryan and teammate Laura Waddell each put up five kills.
Despite the Bucs best efforts the Dolphins were able to force a deciding fifth-game tie break.
The home crowd came alive as the Bucs took a 13-12 lead and didn’t surrender another Dolphin point in the deciding game.
Devine said that this was a very important home win and the crowd really helped out in that deciding game. Devine was all smiles as she bragged about freshman Erin Ryan’s ability to contribute and really create a positive flow for the team.
Youell said it was personal to win against Jacksonville. When asked if her misdirection style of setting was a counter to the two Dolphin players who were 6-foot-2 she said that was something she really worked for every game to get the defense off their feet.
Apana was also excited, albeit out of breath due to her 22 total defensive digs, at the game’s conclusion.
She said that the team overcame a huge hurdle as they exacted revenge on the team that knocked them out of last year’s A-Sun tournament. With Friday’s home win the Bucs extended their winning streak to 12.

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