CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Tymber Riley and Mackenzie Eford turned in a team-high 13 kills, Amanda Milnick dished out 46 assists and Meredith Darnell added a team-best 24 digs as the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns volleyball team (3-4) fought valiantly but dropped a five-set heartbreaker 3-2 to the No. 11 Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (7-0) on Saturday in the finale of the Holiday Inn Classic.
 
NEXT UP

• Arkansas Tech returns to action on Tuesday, September 4, opening the home and conference portion of its schedule against Southern Arkansas at Tucker Coliseum. A 6 p.m. match is scheduled.  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Tech controlled the tempo through the opening points, racing out to an 8-2 advantage.
• Palm Beach Atlantic clawed back and eventually knotted the set at 23-23 and jumped ahead 25-24.
• PBAU jumped ahead 26-25 before Tech strung together three points, capped by an Eford kill to take the opening set 28-26.
• After PBAU took four points in the opening of the set, Tech came back with four points to claim a 5-4 lead.
• PBAU seized the momentum and claimed an 18-11 advantage, and held the Golden Suns at arm's length through the remainder of the set, evening the match with a 25-18 win.
• The two teams traded points in the opening of the third set, with PBAU taking an early 8-5 lead.
• Tech scored eight straight points and 16 of the next 18 points to jump ahead 21-10, and Tech held on for the 25-15 win.
• PBAU again jumped ahead early in the fourth set, taking an 8-3 lead.
• The Golden Suns fought back again, knotting the set at 13-13 after a service ace by Madison Grantham.
• After Tech took a lead after a service ace by Hunter Eshnaur, PBAU reclaimed the lead and held Tech at arm's length down the stretch to take a 25-22 set win and knot the match at 2-2.
• The thrilling fifth set saw Arkansas Tech jump out to a 7-2 lead. PBAU rallied to claim a 13-12 advantage before the Golden Suns forced the first match point at 14-13.
• There were 13 match points between the two teams in the fifth set that saw PBAU eventually claim a 27-25 win.

NOTABLES

• Allie Anderson (12) and Hunter Eshnaur (10) joined Riley and Eford in double-digit kills.
• Milnick narrowly missed a triple-double, adding nine kills and 14 digs to her 46 assists.
• Eshnaur (19), Milnick (14), Riley (14), and Grantham (13) added double-figure digs.
• PBAU outhit Tech .173 to .161.
• Tech hit a match-best .438 in the third set.
• Both teams had 10 blocks.