JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Dakota volleyball team fell, 3-2, in five sets to North Florida on Monday evening in Jacksonville, Fla.
 
UND (5-6) drops its third straight match for the first time since August 2016 and falls below the .500 mark through 11 games for the first time since the 2013 campaign; however, despite the loss there are many positives that Head Coach Mark Pryor can take from tonight.
 
"We had our chances, but just didn't execute," said Pryor. "In the fifth set, we spun the line up a rotation or two to see if that would give us a better match up, that didn't work. That was completely on me and not on the team, so this loss is on me fully, and not on the kids."
 
Kayla Williams was strong again, recording a game-high 22 kills on 60 swings while adding in 15 digs, three service aces, and a block assist for her seventh double-double of the season. The 22 kills and trio of aces are a season-high for the junior transfer, collecting 25.5 points for the visitors.
 
Taliyah Flores shined on the defensive side of the net for the Hawks, posting a new career-high 29 digs in the defeat. Maggie Smith was also strong when entering the match for UND, digging out six attacks along with a trio of assists in provide a spark off the bench.
 
"Kayla played very well tonight," said Pryor. "She really did well for us on offense and defense. Taliyah made some great plays on defense as well. Maggie Smith really came in and did some good things for us from the service line and on defense. It was nice to see her hard work in the gym transfer to a match."
 
Ashley Brueggeman rebounded in a big way for the Fighting Hawks on Monday with 17 kills and six block assists to provide a strong secondary attack from the right side.
 
"Ashley was a pretty solid presence at the net for us tonight, so it was nice to get her going," stated Pryor.
 
Both teams traded runs in the opening set, with North Florida (3-8) building a 19-11 lead following a 7-1 run in the middle of the frame. The Hawks began to claw back into the stanza with a pair of Williams kills and three attack errors for a 5-0 spurt to cut the deficit down to 20-17.
 
After the Ospreys won the next point, UND rattled off three straight points to bring the lead down to 21-20 and force a UNF timeout. The teams traded points until the Hawks fought off two set points with a Brueggeman and Lydia Rutten rejection giving the visitors a 25-24 lead. With the set tied at 25, UND forced back-to-back attack errors to claim the first set, 27-25, and take a 1-0 lead.
 
The second set followed a similar script of the first as North Florida led throughout a majority of the frame. With the Ospreys leading 24-19, UND fought off five set points by UNF to level the period at 24. A Brueggeman kill, UNF set error, Williams kill, Brueggeman and Rutten block, and Rutten kill sparked the rally and pushed the set into extra points again.
 
Both sides went toe-to-toe trading points until back-to-back Williams and Brynn Nieukirk kills gave the Fighting Hawks a 28-27 lead. However, the Ospreys answered with three consecutive points of their own to rally and claim the set, 30-28, to level the match at 1-1.
 
UND came out buzzing in the third set, taking an early 5-1 lead before UNF answered to level the score in the middle portion of the period. Tied at seven, the Hawks uncorked eight of the next nine points to build a 15-8 advantage and force an Osprey timeout. The green and white survived a late surge by the home side to claim the third set, 25-21, and a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
North Florida led from wire-to-wire in the fourth set to win the frame, 25-20, and push the match to five sets. Monday marked the second five-setter for UND this season, winning the previous matchup vs. Troy on Friday.
 
In the deciding set, neither side could pull away early as the period was level at five through the first ten points. The Ospreys answered with a 4-0 run to build a 9-5 lead before a Williams kill halted the run as the Hawks tried to climb back into the set. Leading 10-7, North Florida ended the match on a 5-1 run to capture a 15-8 victory and win the contest 3-2.
 
UND won't have to wait long to return to action as the Fighting Hawks will battle the Jacksonville Dolphins at 5 p.m.