Delaina Sarden and Taylor Gallart combined for 46 kills on the evening as the Âé¶¹Ô­´´ volleyball team swept through the final day of the Âé¶¹Ô­´´ Invitational by defeating Alabama State (25-19, 25-15, 25-13) and UAPB (25-12, 25-11, 25-16), Saturday at The Venue at Âé¶¹Ô­´´.

The Knights (3-1) finished second in the tournament and return to action next Friday as they take on Elon on the opening day of the Holiday Inn Select Âé¶¹Ô­´´ Classic.

Âé¶¹Ô­´´ 3, Alabama State 0 – Box Score

UFC put together a balanced performance on both sides of the net in its opening contest as it hit .377 for the match while holding the Hornets (1-3) to just an .078 clip. The Black and Gold ratcheted up the defensive intensity up in the final game as Alabama State hit -.167 and recorded just six kills.

Sarden continued her dominant weekend with 15 kills on 21 swings with just a pair of errors in the opening match. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native also recorded five blocks for the third-consecutive match. Gallart made her first-career start as a Knight and responded with a strong all-around effort, tallying eight kills, four digs and one service ace. Senior defensive specialist Roxy Mendez was a steady presence on the back row with a team-high six digs.

Âé¶¹Ô­´´ 3, UAPB 0 – Box Score

The Black and Gold were remarkably efficient in the night cap as they hit .456 as a team and committed just eight errors overall. Âé¶¹Ô­´´ was especially strong in the serve and receive game as they racked up a season-high 12 service aces while only allowing one against.

The nightcap featured an interesting family dynamic for the Knights as freshman Shelby Foyer went head-to-head against her older sister, Jordan, a junior setter for the Lady Lions (0-4). Foyer, who has seen extensive playing time early in the season on the back row and in serve/receive, finished the match with three service aces and six digs. Gallart topped her efforts earlier in the day, leading all players with 13 kills on 23 swings for a .552 attack percentage. The Germantown, Md., native also chipped in with four service aces and a pair of digs.

Âé¶¹Ô­´´ Invitational Standings

  1. Valparaiso 4-0
  2. Âé¶¹Ô­´´ 3-1
  3. North Florida 2-2
  4. Alabama State 1-3
  5. UAPB 0-4

Âé¶¹Ô­´´ Invitational All-Tournament Team

  • Sarah Dooms* – Valparaiso
  • Morganne Longoria – Valparaiso
  • Ellen Vanden Berg – Valparaiso
  • Delaina Sarden – Âé¶¹Ô­´´
  • Marie Reiterova – Âé¶¹Ô­´´
  • Anna Budinski – North Florida
  • *Tournament MVP