AVE MARIA, Fla. – Yorelis Rios Gonzalez tied Coastal Georgia's four-match record for digs during the Mariners' 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-16, 25-19) victory at Ave Maria on Saturday afternoon. Rios Gonzalez made 34 digs in order to tie Laney Green's mark that was set earlier this season at Florida National on Sept. 14.
It is the third time in which Rios Gonzalez has eclipsed the 30-dig plateau this season. She previously had 33 against Taylor on Aug. 25, which at the time, tied Coastal Georgia's then-four set digs records. She then tallied 35 digs in a five-set match with Southeastern.
Offensively, Kyra White tallied 16 kills, while Sam Kepler made 10 kills. Ashley Kot had a 36-assist, 22-dig double-double.
The Mariners hit .169 with 49 kills and 89 digs.
Two runs helped the Mariners take a significant lead in the opening set. A kill from Alexis Downey sparked an early six-point spurt that resulted in Coastal Georgia going up 7-1. Addie Pedraza's kill later in the set was the first of five-straight points that put the Mariners ahead 16-7. The Mariners went on to win the set on a Kepler kill.
Coastal Georgia trailed by four midway through the second set, but fought back to come to within one after an Ave Maria attack error made it 17-16 in favor of the Gyrenes. Ave Maria gained several four-point leads in the final points, including at 23-19. A kill from White and a Downey service ace brought Coastal Georgia to within two, but a pair of kills from Katie O'Donnell clinched the set for Ave Maria and tied the match at 1-1.
A pivotal run quickly swung the momentum in favor of Coastal Georgia in the third set. Down by three, a kill from Downey started a nine-point run that saw the Mariners surge to a 19-13 lead. Although Ave Maria stopped the run with a kill from Lauren Ruby, Coastal Georgia rattled off another five consecutive points and had a 24-14 lead. Ave Maria fended off set point twice before a kill from Molly Fletcher won the set.
Another key run powered the Mariners in the fourth set. A kill from White was the first of four straight Coastal Georgia points that allowed the Mariners to go up 18-15. Coastal Georgia continued to expand on its lead, taking a 23-18 advantage on an ace by Hannah Mitchell. Kills from Fletcher and White ultimately ended the set and the match.
Coastal Georgia plays its final road match of the regular season on Wednesday when the Mariners visit Southeastern. Match time is set for 2 p.m.