Box Score ST. AUGUSTINE - In their second match in one day, Florida Southern fell in five sets to Flagler (18-25, 25-23, 25-19, 12-25, 12-15) in a non-conference match at the Flagler Gym on the campus of Flagler College. The loss drops the Moccasins to 19-11 on the season.
The Mocs, who completed the home portion of their 2013 schedule on Wednesday with a three-set defeat by Eckerd, were beaten earlier in the day by 19th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic in four sets. The loss was the third straight for the Moccasins, their longest of the season.
Both teams recorded at least 60 kills and nine or more total team blocks, but Florida Southern was held to a .169 hitting percentage, including a .142 hitting percentage in the final two sets and a .067 hitting percentage in the opening set.
The match was back and forth, with 29 tie scores and 15 lead changes, including 10 ties and 5 lead changes in the second set. The teams also combined for 21 team blocks, with Flagler posting 12 to Florida Southern's nine.
Junior outside hitter Kate Stromberg (Lexington, Ky.) led all Moccasins with 15 kills, while freshman outside hitter Brindl Langley (Camas, Wash.) recorded 11 kills and senior middle blocker Dominique Hale (Kingman, Ariz.) was third on the team with 10 kills, along with leading the team with five combined blocks. Stromberg added 19 digs in the loss, giving her nine double-doubles on the season.
In addition to Stromberg, Langley provided 15 digs to give her nine double-doubles on the year, while sophomore setter Kendall Marotti (LaBelle, Fla.) picked up her 17th double-double with 48 assists and 12 digs. Junior libero Catherine Brusie (North Branch, Mich.) picked up her 10th match of 20 or more dig as she finished with 20 against the Saints.
The teams traded points to start the first set with neither team getting any more than a one-point lead over the other until an attack error by Flagler put FSC up 8-6. The teams once again traded points until the Saints went on an 8-1 run to put them ahead 18-12. The Mocs cut into Flagler's lead to pull to within three after two straight kills from Hale and another Flagler attack error, but the Saints used a 5-1 run to take the set. Both teams combined for 23 kills, while Flagler had four service aces in the set.
The second set began much like the first, with both teams exchanging points and neither being able to pull ahead by any more than two points. Kick-started by a Flagler attack error late in the set, the Mocs scored on four straight possessions to pull ahead 20-19. Although Flagler tied the set following a timeout, Florida Southern was able to pull ahead by using a kill by Langley to go on a 5-3 run to take the set and tie the match at one. The set featured five combined blocks from both teams, with Hale recording two solo blocks and partnering with Marotti for another.
With the match even, both teams looked to pull ahead with a win in the third set. The set was tightly contested from the opening service, with both teams trading points until a kill by Langley sparked five straight points to pull ahead 15-10. The Saints scored two straight points off a timeout, but the Mocs once again reeled off five consecutive scores to widen their lead to eight. Flagler battled back, pulling to as close as five after going on a four-point burst of their own, before a Brady kill gave set number three to the Mocs. Florida Southern hit .216 for the set, while holding Flagler to just .026. The Mocs also scored 14 kills to just six attack errors, while the Saints hit only eight kills to seven attack errors.
The Moccasins looked to take the fourth set and leave St. Augustine with a W, but the Saints had other plans. Flagler took an early lead in the set, going on a 6-1 run before Florida Southern called timeout. The Mocs battled back and pulled to within six before Flagler scored five straight points to widen their lead to 11 before taking the set in dominant fashion. The Saints held a .481 shot percentage in the set and didn't commit a single attack error, while limiting Florida Southern to only .108 hit percentage and seven attack errors.
In the final set of the match, Florida Southern jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before both teams traded consecutive three-point runs to push the score to 5-3 in favor of the Mocs. The Saints wouldn't go away quietly, with Florida Southern only pulling ahead by as three late in the set before Flagler reeled off five straight points to pull ahead 13-11. The Mocs pulled to within two after a timeout, but Flagler scored the last two points to take the set and the match.
Flagler's offense was led by seniors Abby Myers with 11 kills and Emilee Taylor with 10 kills and a team-high five service aces, while freshman Mackensie Mosley led the Saints with 21 assists. Sophomore Caitlyn Kovach paced the defense with 25 digs while Taylor added to the team's total of 78 digs with 21.
The Mocs continue their road stretch with back-to-back games against Rollins on Friday, Nov. 15, and second-ranked Tampa the following Saturday. The last time these teams met, the Mocs lost a three-set match to Tampa on Oct. 25 before beating Rollins in four sets the next day.
