MARIETTA, Ga. (August 27, 2021) – The Florida National volleyball team (2-4) claimed a pair of victories during the team's first day of the Running Eagle Classic on Friday.
The Conquistadors opened the day with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-19) victory over Talladega College. FNU held the Tornadoes to a .104 hitting percentage while boasting an attack percentage of .362.
FNU was led by Ariana Long who notched nine kills and 11 digs in the match. Also making an impact in the match were Joanne Dania (8 kills, 9 digs) and Margareth Collantes (8 kills). Gabriela Hernandez notched a team-high 20 assists followed closely by Maria Alejandra Liva with 17.
In the team's second match of the day, FNU found itself in a "dog fight" with the Brenau Tigers, defeating BU, 3-1 (25-18, 26-24, 19-25, 27-25). After a win in the first set, Brenau pushed FNU to the limit but the Conquistadors edged out the Tigers, 26-24, to take a 2-0 lead. BU responded with a 25-19 third-set victory, marking the match 2-1. The Conquistador closed out the match with a hard-fought fourth set, 27-25.
Three Conquistadors reached double-figures in kills as Long (15), Dania (13), and Lina Valentino (10) guided FNU to the 3-1 win. Both Long and Dania registered double-doubles in the match, posting 12 and 19 digs, respectively. Hernandez and Liva shared setting duties for the second straight match, each surpassing the 20-assist plateau versus the Tigers.
FNU will return to action on Saturday, August 28, closing out the Running Eagle Classic. The team's first match will be against Columbia International at 9:00 a.m. followed by a 1:00 p.m. match with host-institution Life (Ga.).
