Box Score ST. PETERSBURG - Florida Southern and Eckerd battled back-and-fourth here for four sets Friday evening, but it was the Tritons that ultimately prevailed in a close fourth set to earn a victory over the sixth-ranked Moccasins (25-21, 25-27 , 21-25, 21-25) in Sunshine State Conference action at the McArthur Center.
The loss ruined the Moccasins' perfect season as they fell to 12-1 overall and 3-1 in the SSC, while Eckerd, who snapped a five-match losing skid, improved to 6-6 overall and 1-3 in the league.
After losing just four sets in its first 12 matches of the season, the Mocs, who were off to its best start in 25 years, lost three of four close sets in Friday's match to snap an eight match SSC win streak dating to last season's loss on Halloween to Tampa.
Friday's match featured 22 ties and nine lead changes, including a combined 15 ties and seven lead changes in the opening two sets.
FSC opened the match by hitting .321 and recording 13 kills en route to posting a come from behind 25-21 win in the first set, before the Tritons used a late rally in the second set after trailing 24-21 to post a 27-25 win and even the match at a set apiece. The second set featured 10 ties and four lead changes.
Friday's match turned in third set as the Mocs looked to be in control as they scored the first six points and led 13-5 when Eckerd used a 14-1 run to take a 19-14 lead. The Mocs, though, answered with a 7-3 run to pull within 22-21 following a kill by sophomore middle blocker Allie Geary (DeLand, Fla.). That would be as close as the Mocs would get as the Tritons scored the final three points of the set to earn a 25-21 win and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
After losing the third set, the Mocs opened the fourth set by scoring five of the first seven point and led 8-5 when the Tritons reeled off five straight points thanks to three kills from Katie Arnette to take a 10-8 lead. FSC would respond by scoring seven of the next 12 points to tie the set at 15 after a kill from sophomore outside hitter Anna Tovo (Aiken, S.C.). After the two teams each scored two consecutive points to tie the set at 17, Eckerd would score three of the next four points to take a 20-18 lead. After a kill from junior outside hitter Brindl Langley (Camas, Wash.) brought the Mocs within 20-19, the Tritons would close the set by scoring five of the final seven points to seal its 25-21 set win. Eckerd hit .359 in the final set, while FSC hit .211.
On the night, the Mocs offense recorded 49 kills, but hit just .201 for the match, including hitting just .031 in the pivotal third set. FSC entered the match second in the league and 18th nationally in hitting percentage as they were hitting .254 on the year.
Leading the way for the Mocs was Tovo, who finished with 13 kills and added 16 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. In addition to Tovo, senior right side hitter Kendall Marotti (LaBelle, Fla.) added 11 kills and hit .304 and Langley finished with 10 kills and nine digs in the loss.
The Mocs played Friday's match without senior middle blocker Kayshia Brady (Welaka, Fla.) due to injury. Brady ranks second in the SSC in hitting percentage at .367 and is second on the team in kills with 105.
Junior middle blocker/right side hitter Rachel Mostert (Clearwater, Fla.) tried to pick up the slack for Brady's absence as she finished the night with a season high nine kills and hit a team best .500.
Eckerd's win was keyed by the play of Tjasa Kotnik and Arnette as those two players combined for 35 kills and hit a combined .304. Kotnik, who entered the match leading the SSC in kills at 4.22 per set, finished with 20 kills and hit .271, while Arnette tied a season high with 15 kills and hit .355. Arnette had six of her 15 kills in the fourth set, while Kotnik had six kills apiece in both the first and third sets.
In addition to Kotnik and Arnette, Lauryn Nelson added nine kills and hit .304, while JaQuayle Baker had seven kills and hit .462.
For the match, the Tritons hit .270, which was a season high hitting percentage allowed by the Mocs. FSC came into the match tops in Division II in opponents hitting percentage as their previous 12 foes were hitting just .061 on the year.
Along with its offense hitting .270, Eckerd's win was also keyed by a defense that finished with a 12.5-6.0 edge in blocks and recorded 11 aces, including four aces in the second set.
Eckerd's defense was paced by six blocks from Rachel Cornatzer, Nelson and Baker, while Kotnik added five. In addition, Kaitlyn Sibson finished with six aces and a match-high 18 digs, while Emily Schadow posted a double-double of 44 assists and 13 digs.
Mostert and Marotti each had four blocks for the Mocs, while Langley and redshirt sophomore libero Nicci Joyce (Farmington Hills, Mich.) each had nine digs to go along with Tovo's 16.
FSC will look to start a new win streak on Saturday, Oct. 3 as they conclude its two-match road swing with a 4 p.m. match at Saint Leo, who improved to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in the SSC following its four-set home win Friday against Florida Tech.
