Box Score WEST PALM BEACH - Playing its first match as a nationally ranked team since 2010 here Monday, Florida Southern rallied from a 2-0 deficit to post a come-from-behind five-set victory over 18th-ranked Palm Beach Atlantic (19-25, 24-26, 25-17. 25-20, 15-13) in non-conference action at Rubin Arena.
The Moccasins, who are ranked 25th in the week's latest AVCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll, used some key blocks and strong offensive play over the final three sets to improve its record to 12-4 overall on the season. With the loss, PBA fell to 20-1 on the season.
FSC's win was propelled by an offense that hit .216 and finished with season highs in kills (64), attack attempts (208) and assists (60) and a defense that recorded 14 blocks, including outblocking the Sailfish, 8-3 in the third and fourth sets and picking up a season-high 107 digs. The 107 digs is tied for the fourth-most digs in a match in school history.
Monday's victory was keyed by the offensive performances of juniors Kayshia Brady (Welaka, Fla.) and Kendall Marotti (LaBelle, Fla.) as they combined for 31 kills, 13 digs and 10 blocks in the victory. Brady, who was named this week's Sunshine State Conference Offensive Player of the Week earlier in the day on Monday, finished with a season high 16 kills and added six blocks and hit .382, while Marotti finished with a career-high 15 kills, added 10 digs, four blocks and hit .256. The double-double was the fourth of the season for Marotti.
In addition to Brady and Marotti, senior outside hitter Kate Stromberg (Lexington, Ky.) finished the night with nine kills, added 12 digs and two blocks, while redshirt senior setter Ali Skayhan (Beaverton, Ore.) directed the efficient Moccasin offense as she recorded a season high 52 assists and added 18 digs for her 10th double-double, while also chipping in with six kills, two aces and hitting .400 for the match.
The Mocs defense, though, proved to be the difference maker in the match as five players recorded 10 or more digs, including senior libero Catherine Brusie (North Branch, Mich.) recording a career-high 38 digs, including 12 digs in the fifth and deciding set. The 38 digs are the third most ever recorded by a Moccasin in a match in school history and the most since Courtney Veasey set the school record with 43 digs against Tampa on Oct. 10, 2004. Along with Skayhan's 18 digs, sophomore outside hitter Brindl Langley (Camas, Wash.) had 17 digs in the victory.
FSC held PBA to a .159 hitting percentage, including a .111 hitting percentage in the fifth and deciding set, while the Mocs hit .216 as a team.
The Mocs were able to pick up the win on Monday despite the effort of Sailfish junior outside hitter Faith Rohn, who finished with 28 kills and added 19 digs. Rohn combined for 12 of her team's 24 kills in the final two sets and also had seven kills in the opening set. In addition to Rohn, Katie Ballantyne added 10 kills, while Stephany Brown had nine kills in the loss. The 28 kills by Rohn were the most allowed by the Moccasins since Shippensburg's Jill Edwards had 30 in a five-set loss to the Mocs on Sept. 3, 2011.
Monday's match featured 25 tied and 14 lead changes, including 11 ties and five lead changes in the third set and the team's combined for 13 aces and 15 service errors as FSC had five aces and 11 service errors, while PBA had eight aces and four service errors.
In the opening set, the Mocs jumped out to a 3-2 lead, before PBA used a 7-2 run to push out to a 9-5 lead. The Sailfish would push its lead out to 17-12, before the Mocs used a 5-1 run to pull within 18-17 following a solo block by Stromberg. PBA, though, would score four straight points to push its lead back out to 22-17, before a kill by Brady brought the Mocs within four points at 22-18. The Sailfish would close the set by scoring three of the final four points to post the 25-19 lead. In the set, PBA outhit the Mocs, .268 to .171.
The Mocs jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the second set and led 13-5 when the Sailfish used a 10-4 scoring run capped by a kill from Lauren Alberti to pull within 17-15. The Mocs, though, scored two straight points thanks to kills from Brady and freshman outside hitter Anna Tovo (Aiken, S.C.) to push its lead to 19-15. PBA would rally by scoring six of the next seven points to take a 22-21 lead. Trailing by one point, FSC would answer by scoring three consecutive points to take a 24-22 lead, before PBA would close out the set by scoring four straight points, including capping the 26-24 set win with a kill from Rohn.
Trailing 2-0 in the match, the two teams would battle back-and-forth early in the set until the Mocs used an 8-0 scoring run capped by an ace from Skayhan to push out to an 18-11 lead. The Sailfish, though, would score three straight points to drop FSC's lead to 18-14. After kills from Stromberg and Brady pushed the Mocs lead to 20-14, PBA would score three of the next five points to push within 22-17. That would be as close as PBA would get as the Sailfish committed three straight errors to help the Mocs post a 25-17 set win.
The fourth set also belonged to the Mocs as jumped in front 8-2 and led 11-3 when the Sailfish scored seven of the next 10 points to drop the Mocs lead to 14-10. After a Stromberg kill stopped PBA's run, the Sailfish used an 8-4 scoring run to pull within 19-18 following a kill by Emma Ballantyne. That would be as close as the Sailfish would get as the Mocs reeled off five consecutive points to push out to a 24-18 lead. PBA would answer with two consecutive points to pull within 24-20, before Marotti sealed FSC's 25-20 win with a kill.
FSC scored the first two points in the fifth set and led 4-2 when the Sailfish used a 5-1 scoring run capped by a solo block from Rohn to take a 7-5 lead. The team's would trade points until the Mocs scored three straight points to turn an 8-6 deficit into a 9-8 lead. Rohn would answer with a kill to tie the set at 9-all, before the Mocs answered Rohn's kill by scoring three consecutive points to take a 12-9 lead. The run was capped by an assisted block from Marotti and Brady. PBA would score three of the next four points to pull within 13-12. After the team's traded points to give the Mocs a 14-13 lead, FSC would cap the set win and match with a kill from Marotti to seal the 15-13 win.
The Mocs will return to action this coming weekend as they play four matches at the South Region Crossover at Jenkins Field House. FSC will open the event with a 7 p.m. match on Thursday, Oct. 16 against 22nd-ranked West Florida. On Friday, Oct. 17, the Mocs will face North Alabama and Lee (Tenn.) University at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m. respectively, before concluding the event with a 5 p.m. match on Saturday, Oct. 18 against Valdosta State.
