AVE MARIA, Fla. -- The SEU Volleyball team stayed red-hot on Saturday afternoon, rallying after a first-set loss to defeat Ave Maria 3–1 (23–25, 25–20, 25–22, 25–17) and extend its winning streak to nine straight matches. The Fire improved to 18–2 overall and 9–1 in Sun Conference play, while the Gyrenes fell to 6–12 and 5–5 in league action.
Ave Maria came out strong in the opening set, hitting an impressive .463 to take the frame 25–23 despite steady offense from
Laura Bonomi and
Yarelis Lopez. Southeastern settled in quickly, responding with a composed and physical second set.
Mallori Grey's ace and
Emma Reed's block helped spark an early lead that SEU would not surrender, closing the set 25–20 to tie the match.
The Fire carried that momentum into the third, where Bonomi and Lopez combined for nine kills while
Lucrezia Ceroni added consistent pressure in the middle. Southeastern hit a match-best .324 in the set and held off a late Gyrene push to edge it 25–22. The fourth was all Fire, as SEU surged to a 12–6 advantage behind
Haven Speer's setting and dominant front-row play. Reed's blocking and Bonomi's defense closed the door as Southeastern sealed the win 25–17.
As a team, Southeastern hit .207 (55 kills, 19 errors, 174 total attacks) while limiting Ave Maria to .171 (56 kills, 26 errors, 175 total attacks). The Fire and Gyrenes were evenly matched statistically, with SEU totaling 55 kills, four aces, six blocks, 51 assists, and 85 digs compared to Ave Maria's 56 kills, four aces, six blocks, 54 assists, and 94 digs.
Laura Bonomi led all players with 17 kills and 24 digs for her 11th double-double of the year.
Yarelis Lopez added 12 kills and 13 digs, while
Lucrezia Ceroni chipped in nine kills.
Emma Reed anchored the net with four blocks, and
Haven Speer (25 assists) and
Ashley Downs (17 assists) directed the attack efficiently.
Marysa Connors tallied 16 digs, contributing to a solid defensive effort.
The Fire will look to keep rolling when they travel to Florida College on Tuesday, October 21, for a 7 p.m. matchup in Temple Terrace, Fla.
