BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Elon volleyball (3-6) team rallied from a 2-1 deficit but was not able to pull out the victory today, Sept. 12, against North Florida (3-5), falling 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 19-25, 25-19, 9-15), in the first match of the Hampton Inn & Suites of Holly Springs Invitational.
 
"We had trouble starting out sets this afternoon," said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. "We would start out in a hole and then fight back, but at times it was too late. We need to do a better job of being the aggressors right from the start. That will have to happen to have success against South Carolina and Campbell tomorrow."
 
Kayla Agae posted her second straight double-double with a career-high 16 kills and 18 digs. Ally Karle posted nine kills, while also tallying a career-high eight blokcs. Ana Nicksic also put up a double-double with 41 assists and 12 digs.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first set, the Phoenix evened the score at five-all then used kills by Sydney Busa, Danielle Smith and Agae and an ace by Morgan Maner to cap a 4-0 run and lead by four, 9-5. Kills by Busa, Agae and another ace by Maner kept Elon at a four-point advantage, 18-14, before taking a 25-20 win.
 
Down by six, 12-6, the maroon and gold rallied with an 8-3 run to pull within one, 15-14, after a block by D. Smith and Agae. The Phoenix would even the score at 17-all but the Ospreys maintained the advantage. UNF reached set point, 24-22, but was stalled by a block by Karle and Busa for Elon to pull within one, 24-23, but the Ospreys held on to win, 25-23.
 
UNF took the lead from the start in set three with kills by D. Smith and Chanelle Smith keeping the Phoenix within three, 11-8. Trailing by six, 20-14, kills by Agae, Busa and Klein cut the deficit again to three, 21-18. The Ospreys managed to close out the set on a 4-1 run for a 25-19 win and 2-1 match lead.
 
With the fourth set tied at four-all, two kills by Busa helped the Phoenix to a four straight to lead, 7-3. Kills by Kris Harris, Busa and Karle would keep Elon ahead by five before a block by Michelle Klein and Busa extended the advantage to six, 20-14, forcing a UNF timeout. A kill by Agae would seal the win, 25-19, and send the match into a fifth set.
 
The Ospreys pulled out to a 10-5 lead in the final set before two kills by Agae closed the gap to three, 10-7. However, UNF was able to close out the set and the match on a 5-2 run to win, 15-9.
 
Elon continues play in the Hampton Inn & Suites of Holly Springs Invitational tomorrow, Sept. 12, with matches against South Carolina at 10 a.m. and host Campbell at 7 p.m.