JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The LIU volleyball team capped the weekend at the Dolphin Classic hosted by Jacksonville University falling to Furman, 3-2 (18-25, 25-20, 25-19, 23-25, 15-10). Senior Jovana Stekovic was named to the All-Tournament team as LIU moves to 2-7 on the season.
 
The first set was close from the start, until LIU pulled away. Up 7-6, kills from Celine Mukura, Stekovic and Miranda Strongman widened LIU's lead to 10-6. Not long after that, the Sharks strung together a 7-0 run, including two kills from Stekovic, and a service ace from Allie Merz that put LIU up, 19-9. Up 22-11, it looked like LIU had locked up the set, but Furman went on a 6-0 spree to close the gap. But the Sharks used two kills from Strongman to win the first set, 25-18, and take an early 1-0 match lead.
 
Furman would take sets two and three to go up 2-1 on LIU, but the Sharks battled to win set four. Late in the set, the Sharks had set point, 24-18, but again saw Furman nearly take it away. The Paladins scored five straight points to close the gap to 24-23, before a kill from Stekovic won it for LIU, 25-23.
 
In the decisive fifth set, however, Furman leapt out to a 5-1 lead, and would stay ahead. Though LIU rallied to close the lead to one point, 5-4, Furman was able to hold the Sharks at arm's length, and win set five, 15-10, to take the match win, 3-2.
 
Jovana Stekovic had 22 kills, 12 digs, three blocks and three aces. Miranda Strongman had 12 kills and five blocks. Freshman Katie Berg also had five blocks at the net. Sophomore Allie Merz was the team's top setter with 32 assists, while Anastasia Scott had a team high 29 digs, and Carley Lynch added 11 digs.
 
Up next, the Sharks head to Durham for the Duke Classic, September 17-18, where they will take on Cornell, Duke and NCCU.