Box Score CARROLLTON, Ga. - Florida Southern extended its non-conference win streak to 12 straight matches here Saturday afternoon dating to last season following its three-set sweep over Valdosta State (25-23, 25-23, 25-20) to conclude play undefeated in the South Regional Crossover at the Coliseum on the campus of the University of West Georgia.
The victory was a milestone for the 14th-ranked Moccasins (16-3 overall) as not only was it their 16th win of the season, it was also the program's 1,100 all-time victory. The Mocs have compiled a 1,100-448 all-time record in the program's 40 year history. VSU fell to 14-5 and went 0-3 at the South Regional Crossover.
Saturday's win came a little over five hours after the Mocs picked up a three-set sweep over Lee (Tenn.) University to improve to 2-0 in the crossover. The Mocs are now 11-1 in three set matches this season.
FSC's win over the Blazers didn't come easy as both teams hit over .200 for the match, but the Mocs recorded 56 kills and hit .252, including hitting .383 in the third and final set. VSU recorded 39 kills and hit .215, including hitting .306 in the second set, in the loss.
Junior outside hitter Brindl Langley (Camas, Wash.) paced the Mocs offense with a match high 16 kills, hit .308 and added 13 digs for her third consecutive double-double. With her 13 digs, Langley becomes the 18th Moccasin player to ever record 1,000 career digs as she has now posted 1,012 all-time digs, which is 17th on the school's all-time list.
In addition to Langley, sophomore outside hitter Anna Tovo (Aiken, S.C.) added 14 kills and had 11 digs for her ninth double-double of the year. Senior middle blocker Kayshia Brady (Welaka, Fla.) and senior right side hitter Kendall Marotti (LaBelle, Fla.) each had nine kills, while Marotti added 12 digs and Brady hit .333 and had four blocks in the win.
FSC's other double-double in the match was picked up by senior setter Lauren Shlemon (Tampa, Fla.) as she had 20 assists and added 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the year. Freshman setter Bethany Besancenez (St. Louis, Mo.) led the Mocs with 25 assists.
In the opening set, the Mocs jumped out to a 6-0 lead and led 16-10 when the Blazers used an 8-4 run to pull within 20-18. After the two teams traded points to make the score 21-19, FSC scored three of the next five points to take a 24-21 lead. VSU would answer by scoring the next two points to pull within 24-23, but Tovo sealed the 25-23 win with her fifth kill of the set.
VSU would open the second set by scoring the first four points and led 5-3 when the Mocs used a 10-4 flurry to take a 13-9 lead. The Blazers, though, used an 8-4 run to the set at 17. Back-to-back kills from Brady and Marotti gave the Mocs a 19-17 lead, but VSU scored two of the next three points to pull within 20-19. Three straight kills by the Mocs, including two from Marotti pushed FSC's lead to 23-19. The Blazers wouldn't go away as they scored four of the next five points to drop the Mocs lead to 24-23. VSU, though, wouldn't get any closer as Tovo closed out the set with a kill to seal the Mocs 25-23 win and give them a 2-0 edge in the match.
VSU jumped out to a 5-3 lead in the third set, before the Mocs used a 10-4 run to take a 13-9 lead. The Mocs lead would grow to 16-11 before VSU responded with a 5-2 run to pull within 18-16. After the team's traded points to give the Mocs a 19-17 lead, FSC would close out the set by scoring six of the final nine points to post a 25-20 win and earn its second consecutive sweep in the crossover event.
The Blazers were led by 13 kills from Antia Rodriguez-Sanchez, while Ashley Miller and Susanna Peonia each had seven kills in the loss. Jessica Codato recorded a double-double of 30 assists and 16 digs.
FSC was outblocked 7-5 and the Blazers held a 4-3 edge in service aces, but the Mocs outdug the Blazers, 63-61.
The Mocs will look to extend its win streak to four straight matches as they return home to Jenkins Field House to face Embry-Riddle in a 7 p.m. non-conference match on Oct. 20. FSC earned a hard-fought four set win over the Eagles in Daytona Beach on Sept. 19. ERAU is in its first season as a provisional member of the Sunshine State Conference and the matches played against them do not count in the conference standings.
