Box Score

ST. AUGUSTINE – Emilee Taylor recorded a match-high 19 kills, but it wasn't enough as Palm Beach Atlantic University defeated Flagler College 3-2 (16-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-16, 15-12) in a non-conference match Friday night at Flagler Gymnasium.

Just two weeks ago, PBA defeated Flagler 3-2 at the USC Aiken Invitational.

Palm Beach Atlantic extended its winning streak to 12 matches and improved to 14-2. Flagler lost its second match in a row and its fifth in its last six matches to fall to 6-6.

Mariela Quesada led the Sailfish with 17 kills and 11 digs. Christina Alessi added 16 kills and collected three solo blocks. She hit .407 with five errors on 27 swings. Faith Rohn chipped in with 13 kills and eight digs. Melissa Buckingham collected a match-high 19 digs while Becca Acevedo tallied 47 assists and racked up four total blocks.

Dianna Craine added 10 kills and five digs for the Saints. Abby Meyers hit an efficient .320 with nine kills and had one error in 25 swings. Casey Gnann tallied 18 digs while Amelia Morgan recorded her third double-double of the season with 41 assists and 11 digs.

In the first set, Flagler broke open a 7-all tie by going on a 10-2 run which was sparked by a service error, an ace by Craine and consecutive attack errors by Quesada. Another Quesada attack was blocked by Meyers and Morgan to give the set to Flagler, 25-16. The Saints hit .435 in the opening set and limited the Sailfish to a .129 percentage.

PBA opened the second set on a 7-3 run, but Flagler closed to 9-8 on a kill by Taylor, but couldn't get any closer. The Sailfish went on a 9-1 run from that point which included a pair of kills from Quesada. The Saints were held to a .071 hitting percentage in a 25-15 loss.

Flagler got off to a quick start in the third set. The Saints used a pair of Sailfish attack errors to cap an 8-3 opening run and cruised to a 25-18 win. Taylor recorded six kills for Flagler and hit .364.

Like the Saints in the third set, the Sailfish opened the fourth set on an 8-3 run. PBA would go on to win the set 25-16. Rohn led the Sailfish with six kills.

The fifth set featured four ties and three lead changes. After a hitting error by Quesada gave Flagler a 6-4 lead, PBA would rattle off the next four points and take an 8-6 lead. A kill by Quesada gave the Sailfish a 7-6 lead and then an ace by Rohn gave PBA some insurance. Alessi ended match point with a kill to give PBA a 15-12 fifth-set victory.    

Flagler will face former rival Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, ranked No. 8 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, on Tuesday at Daytona Beach at 7 p.m.

  Palm Beach Atl. def. Flagler 16-25,25-15,18-25,25-16,15-12

  Palm Beach Atl. (14-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Mariela Quesada 17-1-1;
  Christina Alessi 16-0-3; Faith Rohn 13-2-0; Rachel Jones 7-0-4; Becca
  Acevedo 5-1-4; Rachael Holehouse 1-0-0; Elly Raush 0-0-2; Lexie
  Grizzle 0-2-0; Totals 59-6-11.0. (Assists) - Becca Acevedo 47. (Dig
  leaders) - Melissa Buckingham 19; Rachael Holehouse 16; Mariela
  Quesada 11; Faith Rohn 8

  Flagler (6-6) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Emilee Taylor 19-2-3; Dianna
  Craine 10-2-0; Abby Meyers 9-0-3; Sophie Meyer 6-0-3; Rachel Stacy
  4-0-3; Amelia Morgan 1-1-2; Rachel Wilkes 1-0-0; Totals 50-5-8.0.
  (Assists) - Amelia Morgan 41. (Dig leaders) - Casey Gnann 18; Amelia
  Morgan 11; Caitlyn Kovach 9

  Site: St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)
  Date: Sep 21, 2012   Attend: 125   Time: 2:00
  Referees: Tina Spann, Robert Owen