LAKEWOOD, N.J. – After losing the first set the USciences volleyball team won the second and nearly took the third, but Georgian Court carried the momentum of a tight victory into the fourth as it eventually defeated the Devils on Thursday evening. 

Deadlocked at 14 in the second, a Tori Wright kill and service ace sparked three consecutive points and the Devils would lead the rest of the way.

Natalia Velez had three kills in the stretch before yet another Wright killed ended the set at 25-23, after GCU had previously staved off three prior set-points. 

University of the Sciences nearly pulled off a similar comeback in the third, fighting off three set-points of its own before falling 23-25. 

The Devils had trailed by six, 14-20, before Velez ignited a 5-1 run by playing a part in three points; a kill and back-to-back blocks with Jennifer Marrero. 

After a Bianca Galis kill closed out the stretch the Lions scored three of the next four points, before kill by Wright sandwiched a block by Galis and Kerrigan Clem to pull USciences within one, 23-24, for the first time since it was 8-9.  

Georgian Court would go on to win the fourth set 25-17.  

Marrero led all players with six block assists, one shy of her own program record for a four-set match (25-point era). She added a block solo to tie her career-high with seven overall.

Velez led all players with 18 kills, one shy of a career-best, while adding 10 digs for her fifth double-double in six matches. 

Angeli Roman Medina also had a double-double, her sixth of the year to tie Velez for the team-lead, with 17 assists and 14 digs. 

Caelin Jaskot led University of the Sciences with 21 assists, while Lauren Lim had a team-best 18 digs. 

Wright had the match's third-highest total with 15 kills.

University of the Sciences plays its fourth match in the span of a week when it hosts Post this Saturday at 12 p.m.