Surprise, Ariz. – Playing a five-set match for the second time in as many days, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) women's volleyball team came up just short of gaining a comeback win at Ottawa University (Ariz). The Eagles dropped a tough 25-20, 25-20, 24-26, 16-25, 17-15 decision to the Spirt. Caylee Robalin (SR/El Paso, Texas) led ERAU with 23 kills while adding 19 digs and three aces.

Runs of 6-0 and 8-0 in the first and second sets for Ottawa (3-0) erased early leads by Embry-Riddle (4-3) and gave the Spirit a 2-0 advantage in the match

Embry-Riddle staged a comeback late in the third set that set the stage for an exciting finish to the match. Trailing 24-22, Robalin held off one match point with a kill before Juliette van den Herik (SO/Arlington Heights, Ill.) put away consecutive kills that paved the way for a set victory.

After a kill from Sharik Joseph (SR/San Diego, Calif.) in the fourth set, ERAU found itself with an 8-2 advantage. Ottawa never recovered from the deficit and the Eagles had their best hitting percentage of a set in the fourth, coming in with a .265 mark while holding the Spirit to a .056 effort as they took a nine-point win to even the match.

Ottawa ran out to an 8-2 lead in the fifth, but Embry-Riddle chipped away at the deficit. A kill by van den Herik brought the Eagles all the way back to tie it at 14-14. That turned out to be the final kill of the match for ERAU, however, as Ottawa came up with consecutive kills after the set was tied 15-15 to come away with the victory.