PAUL, Minn. – On Saturday, the Miami Hurricanes concluded the Diet Coke Classic at St. Thomas, taking on the Tommies for only the second time in program history.

The Hurricanes held a lead early in both the first and second sets, but the Tommies would battle back to win all three sets and defeat Miami 3-0.

Asia Harvey’s nine kills led the Hurricanes while Ariana Rodriguez and Billie Reiter each recorded time as setter. Rodriguez tallied 14 assists while Reiter added five, each playing in two sets.

Defensively, Gaby Arroyo had 14 digs while Sonja Danilovic led the way with four blocks. Denitsa Angelova recorded three blocks to add to her team lead of 17.

Set 1: St. Thomas 25, Miami 23
The Hurricanes and Tommies played a tight match early in set one, as the teams traded points before Miami pulled away to build itself a six-point lead. In a 10-6 game, the Tommies outscored the Hurricanes 6-2 to tie the set at 12. The teams once again traded points, sitting tied at 20 before the Hurricanes scored three straight to make it 23-20. St. Thomas pushed, scoring the final five points to take the first set.

Set 2: St. Thomas 25, Miami 17
In the second set, Miami and St. Thomas once again kept the score close, but the Tommies took a six-point lead into the 15-point timeout. They added two points out of the timeout, before the Hurricanes made it a 17-10 game on a Danilovic kill. St. Thomas only outscored Miami by one point down the stretch, but it was enough for the Tommies to take the second set and force an elimination set for the Hurricanes.

Set 3: St. Thomas 25, Miami 19
The Tommies led the Hurricanes 4-1 early in the third set but a Danilovic kill, St. Thomas error, and a Gaby Arroyo ace retied the set at four. St. Thomas pulled away by a few points, but the Hurricanes found ways to keep the score close, as the Tommies only led by three at the media timeout. Middle blockers Logan Wiley and Denitsa Angelova recorded kills to keep Miami within one, but a 9-4 Tommies run closed the set and secured a St. Thomas victory over the Hurricanes.

Up Next: After a three-game road trip, the Miami Hurricanes (0-7) will return home for the Canes Classic, hosting both LSU and Tulsa. The Hurricanes will first play the Tigers on Friday, Sept. 17. First serve is at 6:30 p.m.