LAKELAND - Florida Southern is set to close out the first half of its Sunshine State Conference schedule at home this weekend as they host No. 2 ranked Tampa on Friday at 7 p.m. and Rollins at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Jenkins Field House.
The Moccasins, who are sporting a 16-6 overall record and is in sole possession of second place in the SSC with a 5-1 mark, haven't played since posting a 3-1 mark at last weekend's South Regional Crossover in Pensacola. FSC's only loss last weekend was a four-set defeat against then 19th-ranked West Florida in its final match of the event. The loss to UWF snapped the Mocs five match winning streak.
FSC has been strong at home this season as the Mocs are 7-2 on its homecourt, including posting a 3-0 record at home in SSC play. The Mocs haven't played at home since picking up a three-set victory over Barry on Oct. 12 to extend its home win streak in conference matches to six straight as FSC hasn't lost at home in league play since falling to Tampa in three sets on Nov. 3, 2012.
Leading the way for Mocs is sophomore middle blocker Kayshia Brady (Weluka, Fla.), who leads the team in kills (207) and is second in blocks with 56 and is hitting .274. Brady, who was named to the All-Tournament Team at last weekend's South Regional Crossover, leads the Mocs with nine double-digit kills matches and has had five or more blocks in two matches. In addition to Brady, junior right side hitter Gabby Fernandez (Tampa, Fla.) is second in kills (192), third in aces (19) and fifth in digs (172) and has had eight double-digit kill matches, while freshman outside hitter Brindl Langley (Camas, Wash.) is third in kills (182), second in digs (281) and leads the team in aces with 21 and has recorded five double-doubles.
Other key performers for the Mocs include sophomore setter Kendall Marotti (LaBelle, Fla.), junior outside hitter Kate Stromberg (Lexington, Ky.), junior libero Catherine Brusie (North Branch, Mich.) and senior middle blocker Dominique Hale (Kingman, Ariz.).
Marotti is hitting a team-best .357 and leads the team in double-doubles with 12 and second in the SSC and 33rd nationally in assists per set (10.47) and has had 55 blocks, while Stromberg has recorded 181 kills, 278 digs, 20 aces and has had six double-doubles, Brusie leads the team and is fifth in the SSC in digs per set (4.69) and has picked up 20 service aces and Hale, who was named the All-Tournament Team at last weekend's South Regional Crossover, leads the team in blocks with 74 and is averaging 0.96 per set and is hitting .256 as she has had 155 kills and a team-best 11 solo blocks.
As a team, FSC leads the SSC and is third nationally in Division II in digs per set as they are averaging 19.86 and they fourth in the league in kills per set (13.55) and are also averaging 1.41 aces and 2.07 blocks per set and are hitting .205, while limiting its foes to a .134 hitting percentage.
The Mocs opponent on Friday, Tampa enters the match sporting a 19-1 overall record and is a perfect 7-0 in SSC play after collecting a four-set win Wednesday at Rollins. The victory over Rollins extended UT's win streak to 12 straight matches as the Spartans lone loss of the season came at hands of then-No. 4 ranked Concordia-St. Paul in the finals of the Gold Division bracket at the Colorado Premier Challenge on Sept. 14. UT fell to the six-time defending National Champion Golden Bears in four sets.
Since that loss at the Colorado Premier Challenge, UT has reeled off 12 consecutive victories and the Spartans have won 27 consecutive SSC matches dating to the 2011 season as they haven't lost since falling in five sets at Eckerd on Oct. 28, 2011. Since that loss, UT ended the 2011 season by winning its final four conference matches, before going 16-0 last season and they are 7-0 so far this season in SSC play.
The Spartans are led by the play of sophomore outside hitter Berkley Whaley. Whaley, who is a transfer from the University of Florida and was named this week's AVCA National Division II Volleyball Player of the Week, is averaging 3.42 kills per set and is hitting .306. She also leads the team with 27 service aces and is third in blocks with 46. In addition to Berkley, junior middle blocker Meagan Burke is hitting a team-best .437 and is averaging 1.68 kills per set and 1.11 blocks per set as she has recorded 69, while sophomore libero Jen Scholz is averaging 3.46 digs per set and has recorded 16 aces sophomore middle blocker Jessica Wagner is averaging 1.16 blocks per set and has recorded a team-best 78 on the year.
As a team, UT is hitting .301 and holding opponents to a .135 hitting percentage. The Spartans also lead the league in kills per set (14.06), blocks per set (2.59) and assists per set (13.04).
UT is coached by Chris Catanach, who is in his 30th season at his alma mater. In his time with the Spartans, Catanach has compiled a 925-164 record and entered this season as the second winningest active coach in Division II volleyball in terms of wins. He has led UT to 22 SSC titles, 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, 15 trips to the Elite Eight, four national runner-up finishes and the 2006 Division II National Championship.
Friday's meeting with Tampa will be the 114th match-up all-time in the series with UT holding a 61-52 edge. The Spartans have won 11 straight matches over the Mocs since FSC picked up a three-set win in Lakeland on Sept. 17, 2008. The Mocs hold a 29-25 edge in the series in Lakeland and also an 11-5 edge on neutral courts, while UT leads 31-12 on its home court.
On Saturday, the Mocs will host Rollins as the Tars, who earned 11 votes in this week's latest AVCA D-II Coaches' Poll, coming into the match sporting a 17-5 overall record and are tied for fourth in the league with a 4-3 mark after falling in four sets at home on Wednesday to Tampa. The Tars have won six of its last eight matches with the two losses coming at Saint Leo (3-0) and at home to UT (3-1). Rollins' other loss in league play came at home to Florida Tech (3-1) on Sept. 28.
The Tars have had a lot of success away from home this season are they 14-2 away from Winter Park, including being 10-0 on neutral courts. Rollins' enters the weekend having won three straight on the road since its three-set loss at Saint Leo.
Leading the way for the Tars is senior middle blocker Camille Indest as she leads the SSC and is 17th nationally in hitting percentage (.360). In addition, Indest is averaging a team-best 3.77 kills, 0.86 blocks per set and has had 20 aces. Along with Indest, junior middle blocker Jessica Wilson is hitting .330 and is averaging 2.13 kills and 0.92 blocks per set and has had 20 aces, while junior libero Colleen Welsch is averaging an SSC-best 5.10 digs per set.
As a team, Rollins, who is coached by former Moccasin Sindee Snow, is second in the league in digs per set (17.92) and is third in kills per set (13.54) and is fourth in hitting percentage at .209 and is holding its foes to a .132 hitting percentage.
Snow, who lettered for the Mocs from 1980-82 and earned Second-Team All-SSC honors as a senior in 1982, is in her 13th season with the Tars and has compiled a 250-188 overall record. She won her 250th career match last Saturday against Shorter as the SSC-GSC Crossover in Carrollton, Ga. In that match, the Tars posted a four set win to conclude the event with a perfect 3-0 record.
Saturday's match with Rollins marks the 88th all-time meeting between the two schools as FSC holds an 80-7 edge in the series. The Mocs have won 13 of its last 15 matches in the series, including sweeping both meetings last season. FSC leads 40-3 in Lakeland, 7-1 on neutral courts and holds a 33-3 edge in Winter Park.
Click here for the complete Week 8 Moccasin Volleyball release
