ELON, N.C. – The Elon University volleyball team ended its regular season with a four-set defeat against Delaware on Sunday. 
 
Elon 1, Delaware 3 (25-19, 18-25, 22-25, 25-27)  
HOW IT HAPPENED  

• The Phoenix came out hot offensively gaining a 9-5 lead off seven team kills. The Blue Hens chipped away at the lead getting within one at 12-11. However, Elon never gave up its lead, eventually going ahead by five at 20-15. Delaware scored three straight points before Elon responded by going on a 5-0 run with a kill from Keira Kasten closing out the first set 25-19.
• Delaware came out to a commanding 7-1 lead in the second set. Elon went on a 5-3 run to get within four points before the Blue Hens won six of the next eight points to take a 16-9 lead. The Phoenix again chipped away at the lead, going on a 6-2 run to cut the Delaware lead to three at 18-15. However, that is as close as Elon would get as the Blue Hens eventually took the second set 25-18.
• The Phoenix gained a 9-5 lead to open the third set. Delaware fought hard to eventually tie the score at 14-14 midway through the frame. From there, Delaware went on a 7-3 run to take a 21-17 lead late in the set. Elon saved three match points but could not overcome the deficit as the Blue Hens won the third set, 25-21.
• Delaware came out to an early 5-2 start in the fourth set. Later, with the score 12-9, in favor of the Blue Hens, Elon won two straight points thanks to back-to-back kills from Lily Emlong to get the Phoenix within one at 12-11. Elon continued to battle from behind, eventually going on a 6-1 run credited to four kills from Sydney Love and a block from Cameron Lanier and Kyla Johnson to gain a late 19-16 lead. Delaware responded winning six of the next nine points to tie the set at 23-23. It was a hard-fought battle to the end, but Delaware eventually won the set and match 27-25.

 
NOTES

• Sydney Love and Keira Kasten paced the Phoenix in kills with 17 and 15, one short of their season-highs. Lily Emlong followed with a career-high nine kills on her Senior Day.
• Jessica Parker recorded a career-high 36 assists in her fourth double-double of the season. The freshman also tallied 10 digs and one service ace.
• Freshman Kyla Johnson led the team with three blocks. Emlong and Love both recorded two on the day.
• Caroline Doyle and Parker each tallied a team-high 10 digs followed by senior Jordan Gower with nine.
• Elon's 18 kills in the first set were one short of their season-high 19 in the five-set loss against UNCW earlier this season.  
• As a team, Elon outpaced Delaware in kills (60-53), assists (56-51) and digs (53-48).

 
FROM COACH TENDLER 
"Today was all about celebrating the senior class, a class that has given so much to our program.  We played one of our best matches of the season against the second-best team in the CAA and almost took them to a fifth set. I'm proud of our efforts and how we were able to execute today."