Box Score LAKELAND - Florida Southern returned home to Jenkins Field House here Tuesday evening and rode an offense that hit over .300 in all three sets to a three-set Sunshine State Conference victory over Florida Tech (25-22, 25-19, 25-17).
With the victory, the 14th-ranked Moccasins snap a two-match losing skid and improve to 13-2 overall and 4-2 in the SSC, while Florida Tech fell to 7-6 overall and 2-4 in the league standings. The win also pushed the Mocs into sole possession of third place in the SSC standings heading into Thursday's home showdown with No. 2 ranked Tampa.
Tuesday's win not only snapped a two-game losing streak for the Mocs, it also ran its homecourt win streak to 10 consecutive matches, which is tied for 16th longest active home win streak in Division II women's volleyball.
After hitting .167 in its three-set loss on Saturday at Saint Leo, the Mocs offense rebounded against the Panthers on Tuesday night as they hit .359 for the match. FSC, who have six player hit over .300 for the match, hit .318 in the first set, .379 in the second set and .400 in the third set.
The Mocs, who are second in the SSC in hitting percentage at .249 on the season, have now hit over .300 in four matches this season and since the beginning of last season, they are 13-0 when hitting over .300 in a match.
Leading the way was junior right side hitter Rachel Mostert (Clearwater, Fla.) as she hit .556 thanks to five kills and no errors on nine attack attempts. In addition to Mostert, senior right side hitter Kendall Marotti (LaBelle, Fla.) hit .500 as she recorded a match high 16 kills and had two errors on 28 attack attempts and sophomore outside hitter Anna Tovo (Aiken, S.C.) matched her season high hitting percentage of .462 thanks to picking up 12 kills and no errors on 26 attack attempts.
Marotti paced the Mocs offense with 16 kills and added 12 digs for her third double-double of the season and 26th of her career, while Tovo fell just short of a double-double as she recorded eight digs to go along with her 12 kills and senior middle blocker Kayshia Brady (Welaka, Fla.) added eight kills, a career high tying five digs and hit .429 in the win.
While the Mocs offense returned to its efficient form on Tuesday, its defense continued to play well as they held the Panthers to a .175 attack percentage, held a 6-3 edge in blocks and outdug the visitors, 51-42.
FSC's defense was keyed by Marotti's 12 digs, while redshirt sophomore libero Nicci Joyce (Farmington Hills, Mich.) added 10 digs. Mostert and sophomore middle blocker Allie Geary (DeLand, Fla.) each had two blocks in the victory.
Another key to the win was a 6-1 edge on service aces by the Mocs as junior outside hitter Brindl Langley (Camas, Wash.) had four of those six aces, while senior setter Lauren Shlemon (Tampa, Fla.) and freshman setter Bethany Besancenez (St. Louis, Mo.) each had an ace on the night.
The first set was close early on until with neither team holding a lead of more than two points until the Panthers used a 4-1 run to take a 14-11 lead. FSC, though, would respond with a 5-1 flurry to take a 16-15 lead. After a service error by Tovo tied the set at 16, the Mocs would use a 5-3 run capped by an assisted block by Langley and Geary to take a 21-18 lead. FIT would score three straight points to tie the set at 21, but the Mocs would answer by scoring four of the final five points, including capping the 25-21 set win with back-to-back kills by Tovo and Mostert.
FSC jumped out to an 11-7 lead in the second set and led 14-11 when the Panthers responded with 5-3 run to pull within 17-16 following back-to-back kills by Ashtin Truesdale and Olivia Hersey. That would be as close as FIT would get as the Mocs closed out the set by scoring eight of the final 11 points to post a 25-19 win and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set belonged to the Mocs as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead and led 18-10 when the Panthers used a 4-2 run to pull within 20-14. After back-to-back errors by both teams made the score 21-15, the Mocs would close the set and the match by scoring four of the final six points, including capping the 25-17 win with a kill from freshman outside hitter Nicole Mattson (Oviedo, Fla).
Marilyn Dick led the Panthers, who have now lost three straight matches and four of it last five overall, with nine kills and added six digs. In addition to Dick, Alea Hamm had eight kills and added two blocks, while Hersey had seven kills in the loss.
Becca Bower led the Panthers defense with a match high 17 digs.
The Mocs will have little time to savor Tuesday's win as they conclude its two-match homestand on Thursday, Oct. 8 with a 7 p.m. match against the Spartans, who are 11-3 overall and 4-0 in the SSC. UT comes into the match having won 56 consecutive SSC matches dating to the 2011 season.
