OMAHA, Neb. - The Mavericks took on their toughest opponent yet this season, battling hard through three sets before ultimately falling to ACC powerhouse Florida State 0-3 to open the Omaha Invite presented by Sarpy County Tourism.

This was the first home loss of the season for the Mavericks as they now sit at 4-2, while the Seminoles improve to 7-1. This was the first time either team had ever played each other.

Set By Set

• Both teams seemed evenly matched early on as the score remained tied more than halfway through the set at 15-15. Shayla McCormick and Kali Jurgensmeier had three kills apiece during this stretch, with the latter also picking up a service ace. Things remained close until the Seminoles scored four in a row to take a 22-19 lead. McCormick and Marriah Buss scored a couple of kills to keep the Mavericks alive, but it was too late as FSU took the set.
• Set two featured an unrelenting attack from Florida State as they came out to a 4-0 lead to kick things off. Omaha briefly clawed its way back to tie it 8-8 thanks in part to a pair of kills from McKenna Ruch, but the Seminoles responded with a 6-0 scoring run to make it 13-8. Still, the Mavericks did not quit, managing to again tie the set at 21-21 after a tremendous group effort that saw five different players record kills, as well as an ace from Rachel Fairbanks and two blocked shots from Ruch. However, FSU shut down any hopes of a comeback by scoring four straight and ending Omaha's rally.
• Omaha maintained control of the scoreboard for most of set three, leading 19-17 late. McCormick and Jurgensmeier each racked up three more kills in this span, while Ruch added two more blocks to her ledger. The Seminoles managed to retake the lead, though, with a five-point scoring run to pull ahead 22-19. Still, the Mavericks once again came back as Jurgensmeier scored another two kills and Ruch another block, but it was not enough as FSU would go on to break the 23-23 tie and close out the set and match.

Inside the Box Score

• McCormick continued her streak of finishing every match this season with double-digit kills after picking up 10 tonight.
• Jaiden Centeno recorded a season-high 21 digs, leading both teams on the day.
• Ruch's six blocks bring her to 38 through the first six matches of the season. In 2021, it took her 17 matches to reach 38 blocks.

Up Next
Florida State will play No. 17 Creighton tomorrow in a neutral match at 5 p.m. The following day, Omaha and Creighton face off at 3 p.m. to close out tournament while simultaneously opening River City Rivalry Week. This match will be televised on Nebraska Public Media in addition to the regular stream on Mavs All-Access.