Liberty Digs Deep for 5-Set Win Over UNF

Liberty overcame a 2-1 match deficit on Sunday, rallying for a five-set (25-12, 17-25, 21-25, 25-19, 15-7) win over North Florida at Liberty Arena.

With the win, Liberty (13-7) reaches the halfway point of ASUN play with a 6-2 conference record. North Florida falls to 6-13, 4-4 in ASUN competition with the loss.

Notable Numbers

• Liberty outhit North Florida .243-.189 for the match, also leading in aces (9-6) and digs (59-56). UNF held a 9-7.5 advantage in blocks.

• Kamryn Bacus led all players with 18 kills (.447), while Lydia Burts posted 12 kills, two aces, three blocks and a career-high eight digs. Trinity Watts registered 11 kills, 10 digs and three blocks, while Delaney Dilfer contributed 46 assists, four aces and a match-high 17 digs. Madison Blane sent down 10 kills and added three blocks. Erica Lowery collected 13 digs.

• Solimar Cestero registered 16 kills to lead UNF, while Mahalia White (12 kills, 13 digs) and Kailey McKnight (10 kills, 12 digs) both recorded double-doubles. Savannah Cook dished out a match-high 47 assists, while Maddie Boyd led all players with five blocks and Rocio Moro collected 16 digs.

Turning Point

• UNF held a 2-1 match lead after winning sets two and three. Liberty’s Kamryn Bacus scored nine kills on 13 swings (.692) during the fourth set, helping Liberty outhit the Ospreys .364-.125 on the way to a 25-19 victory to set up a decisive fifth set.

• Liberty raced out to a 4-0 lead in set five, scoring the first four points with Dilfer on serve. The Lady Flames held a comfortable lead throughout the fifth set, thanks in part to four kills (.667), one dig and two blocks from Burts. The hosts wrapped up the five-set win, claiming set five, 15-7.

Quick Hits

• Liberty now leads the all-time series over North Florida, 7-2. The Lady Flames had won the first six matches in the series before UNF claimed both meetings last year.

• Liberty is 3-4 in five-set matches this season, including 2-2 in such matches in conference play. UNF is 3-2 in matches that require five sets.

• This was the fifth match in a row in which Liberty placed four players in double-figures in kills.

• Burts’ eight digs were the most by a Liberty middle blocker in a single match since Oct. 3, 2015 against UNC Asheville, when Sirena Vorster collected nine digs.

• Dilfer recorded her 11th double-double of the season and 17th of her career. Her 11 double-doubles this season are the most by a Liberty player since 2019 (Hannah Morris – 12, Amelia Preston – 11).

• Liberty has outhit its opponent in each of its last 11 matches. The last time Liberty outhit its opponent in 11 or more consecutive matches was Oct. 5 through Nov. 17, 2007, when the Lady Flames outhit opponents in 16 consecutive matches.

Up Next

The Lady Flames head to Florida for a pair of ASUN matches next weekend. Liberty plays at Stetson on Friday at 6 p.m. before taking on FGCU in Fort Myers, Fla., Saturday at 6 p.m.