Volleyball team sweeps FAU

The University of Miami volleyball team swept Florida Atlantic University for the second time this season Tuesday night at the Knights Sports Complex, in the first match of a five-match home stand.

UM is now 7-1 all-time against FAU. This was the eighth time this year that Miami has swept its opponent.

Miami improves to 15-2 overall and remains 3-2 in the ACC, and has now eclipsed its win total from all of last season.

“Anytime you win in three [sets] it’s a great thing,” head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “We are a very good team. When we get focused and determined and play patient volleyball, we are in every match.”

The Hurricanes never trailed in the first set, as senior Angelica Ellis won six straight service points to propel the Canes off to a fast 14-3 start.

The Owls made it close, cutting the lead to 17-12. But from there, serving specialist Maria Andersson carried the team to victory, winning five straight service points, as the Canes ended the first set on an 8-2 run and won the first set, 25-13.

The second set started off very competitive as the Owls and Canes kept alternating points.

FAU took a 9-8 lead but from then on the Hurricanes turned on the jets and never looked back. They ended the set on a 17-4 run and once again won the set 25-13.

The third set was a sloppy one for Miami, as they committed 10 unforced errors, but they were still talented enough to get the win and complete the sweep, winning the set 25-19.

For the third straight set the orange and green finished strong, going on an 8-2 run to cap the night.

The Canes had nine service aces compared to the Owls’ two, and they had more than twice as many kills as the Owls, out hitting them 44 to 19.

Sophomore setter Katie Gallagher orchestrated the offense beautifully, dishing out 32 assists while adding six digs.

Junior outside-hitter Genny Mayhew was the only Hurricane to register double digits in kills, finishing with 10. Mayhew credited her play to Gallagher’s ability to set things up.

“Katie was putting up some great balls, and we worked on that a lot these past couple of days in practice,” Mayhew said. “We are off to a great start, but we also keep it in perspective. We are not even half way done. We have a lot of ACC [play] ahead of us, and we want to continue to play well.”

Mayhew also realizes how fortunate she is to play with an outstanding freshman in Lane Carico, who had another well-rounded game, recording seven kills and nine digs.

“It is nice because I can look at and learn from things [Carico] is doing on the court,” Mayhew said. “We both feed off each other and talk about what we each are seeing. And we have that California connection.”

The Canes continue their home stand this weekend, as they play host to Boston College on Friday night at 7 p.m. and Maryland on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Both games can be heard on the student radio station of the University of Miami: 90.5 FM WVUM.