WALESKA, GA. – The clock struck 12 on Florida Memorial's "Cinderella" volleyball season Saturday.
 
The Lions stood toe-to-toe with No. 24 Reinhardt University Saturday but ultimately fell 3-0 (20-25, 24-26, 19-25) to the host Lady Eagles in NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Opening Round.
 
Reinhardt University, which came into Saturday having swept its past five opponents and had won 26 straight matches, will advance to the national championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa to play in the Tyson Events Center in the 2019 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship presented by Delta Hotels on December 3-7.
 
Florida Memorial (22-10) stayed close with Reinhardt throughout Saturday. The first set began as a back-and-forth battle before the Lions took a 13-10 lead, prompting the Eagles to take a timeout. Reinhardt surged, but FMU fought back and took a 17-15 lead, before the Eagles scored five straight and ultimately took the set 25-20.
 
FMU's resolve showed the most in the second set. Neither team held more than a one-point advantage until late in the score – with Florida Memorial holding a 21-19 lead, Reinhardt a 23-21 lead, and the Lions up again at 24-22. Not being able to close the door with that 24-22 lead came back to haunt the Lions as Reinhardt scored four straight point to take the second set and a 2-0 lead.
 
While the Lions had faced and rallied back from match deficits in their previous three games, Saturday didn't lend itself to the same kind of outcome as Reinhardt jumped out to a 16-10 lead and staved off FMU the rest of the way.
 
Saturday's outcome doesn't overshadow the accomplishments of FMU first-year head coach Marrita Crockett-Moulton or her team. The Lions not only won the program's first women's volleyball Sun Conference title, it set new program marks in multiple individual and team categories.