LAKELAND, Fla. — Anderson defeated Saint Leo 3-1 on Saturday at Jenkins Field House. Anderson took the opening two sets 25-11 and 25-22 before Saint Leo claimed the third set 25-23. Anderson secured the match with a 25-17 win in the fourth set. The Trojans' attack proved decisive, recording 47 kills with a .186 hitting percentage, overcoming the Lions' 38 kills and .020 hitting percentage.

Anderson opened the first set with a strong performance, quickly securing a 6-1 lead, including a service ace by Jamie Juhnevicz and multiple kills by Mikaylah Hedlund. SLU struggled with errors, allowing the Trojans to extend their advantage to 11-3 with contributions from Mia Elder. Anderson's Ellie Nieporte and Mia Bennett facilitated a dynamic attack, with Bennett assisting on multiple kills, including a pivotal one by Kaydan Flowers to push the score to 15-6. Despite a brief rally by the Lions, highlighted by a service ace from Mia Moser, Anderson maintained control. The set concluded with a decisive 25-11 victory for Anderson, capitalized by Karley Black's kill and an error from Camila Villar.

Anderson opened the second set with a commanding 7-0 run, highlighted by Juhnevicz's service ace and Ava Reeves' kill. Saint Leo halted the streak with a kill from Molly Chappell, but the Trojans maintained their lead through strategic plays and capitalizing on the Lions' errors. Saint Leo fought back, closing the gap to 22-20 with a series of successful attacks led by Brielle Kallberg. However, Elder secured the set with a decisive kill at 24-22, followed by an attack error from the Lions, concluding the set 25-22 in favor of Anderson.

In the third set, Anderson took an early lead with a kill by Hedlund, followed by an attack error from the Lions' Jala Drayton, making it 2-0. However, SLU quickly tied the score at 4-4, aided by a service ace from Chappell. Saint Leo then gained momentum with a series of attack errors from AU, extending their lead to 12-7, featuring a service ace by Giada Solorzano. Anderson fought back to narrow the gap to 21-20, with Emily Campbell contributing crucial kills. Despite Anderson's efforts, the Lions managed to close out the set 25-23, with Chappell securing the final point.

In the fourth set, Anderson started strong with a 2-0 lead, capitalizing on a kill by Maura Kindel and an attack error by Kallberg. The Trojans then extended the lead to 8-2, highlighted by two consecutive kills from Hedlund. Anderson continued to dominate with Reeves contributing back-to-back kills and a block error from Chappell, pushing the score to 12-4. Despite a brief rally from the Lions narrowing the gap to 15-11, the Trojans maintained control, with Campbell securing crucial points, including a kill at 20-10. A late surge from SLU brought the score to 24-17, but Anderson sealed the set and the match at 25-17 following an attack error by Gina Stavile.

Hedlund recorded 12 kills on 25 attempts, maintaining a hitting percentage of .480, while also adding 15 digs defensively. Juhnevicz contributed significantly to the defensive effort with 16 digs and three service aces. Bennett facilitated the offense with 21 assists and bolstered the defense with 11 digs. Additionally, Nieporte posted 18 assists, enhancing the team's offensive distribution.

Kallberg emerged as a key player for the Lions, contributing a team-high five total blocks. Solorzano led the defensive efforts with 15 digs, demonstrating strong backcourt play. Chappell added offensive depth with 11 kills and also played a significant role defensively with 13 digs. Tajma Muharemovic facilitated the offense with 17 assists while contributing six digs. Moser showed proficiency at the service line, recording three aces in the match.