Box Score LAKELAND – On a night in which both teams saw individuals record milestones in digs, it was the 22nd-ranked Moccasins coming out on top with a 30-28, 25-21, 26-28, 25-21, win over Barry here Saturday at Jenkins Field House in the regular season finale for both squads.
For the Moccasins (23-8 overall and 9-7 in the SSC), senior Kendall Marotti entered the game needing two digs to reach the 1,000 plateau. She registered her second dig in the first set, becoming the 19th Florida Southern player to reach the milestone.
For Barry (14-12, 8-8 SSC), libero Brittany Jaco recorded 26 digs to give her 599 for the season, eclisping the Buccaneers single-season record of 589 set by Lauren Evans in 2007.
In the hotly-contested battle, neither team could take control of the first set as the two teams were tied 18 times with nine lead changes and neither team enjoying more than a three-point lead at any time. The Mocs fought off four set-points by the Buccaneers and came within one point of winning on two other occasions before prevailing, 30-28, on a kill by Kayshia Brady. Anna Tovo provided the punch for the Mocs with six kills.
The second set was more of the same as the score was tied 13 times. Barry went ahead 10-7 on a kill by Ivana Dianovic, but Florida Southern battled back to take the lead, 12-11, on another Tovo attack. After the set's final tied score of 20-20, the Moccasins got kills from Brindl Langley (one of her five in the set) and Allie Geary while benefitting from three Barry errors for the 25-20 victory.
Set three continued the see-saw battle. A Geary kill put the Mocs ahead at one point, 16-12, then Barry answered with 7-1 run to go ahead 19-17 and would go on to post a 24-22 score on a kill by Katie Dooley. The Moccasins staved off three set points by the Buccaneers and tied the scored three before falling, 28-26.
In the fourth and deciding set, the two squads battled to a 14-14 tie before Florida Southern put together a 8-1 run behind a pair of Brady kills and one by Langley, accompanied by five Barry miscues to take a 22-15 lead. Two more Langley kills put the Mocs within one point of winning at 24-19 before Barry came back, 24-21. A block by Geary was the final blow, lifting the Florida Southern to the 25-21 win and the four-set victory.
For the match, Tovo lead the Mocs with 15 kills and 15 digs while Langley also recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 16 digs. Nicole Mattson had 12 kills for the Mocs while Geary was also in double figures with 10 kills. Bethany Besancenez got into the double-double act with 29 assists and 20 digs. Nicci Joyce and Marrotti contributed 12 and 10 digs, respectively.
Barry got 19 kills from Didanovic and 17 more from Drake whiel Cielana added 13. Jasmie Serna recorded 51 assists and Jaco led with 26 digs.
Florida Southern now awaits word on NCAA postseason play which will be announced Monday evening during the NCAA Division II Selection Show.
