Box Score LAKELAND, FL - Nicole Mattson had a career-high 26 kills as Florida Southern College volleyball picked up a trilling 3-2 win over visiting Nova Southeastern on Saturday at Jenkins Field House. The Moccasins (15-7, 6-3 SSC) snapped a two-match losing streak in Sunshine State Conference play and finished the season sweep of the Sharks (11-13, 3-8).
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Florida Southern was able to overcome an early six-point deficit to grab a 25-21 first-set win. Nova Southeastern raced out to an early 10-4 lead, but the Mocs responded with a 5-1 run to cut the deficit to just two (11-9). NSU was able to stay in front and clung to an 18-17 lead late in the set, but the Moccasins reeled off seven points in a row to take a 24-18 lead. Nova would score three-straight to make it 24-21, but Mattson ended the threat with a kill to give the Mocs the set-clinching point.
• Nova Southeastern responded with a 25-22 victory in the second set to tie the contest at 1-1. The Sharks again grabbed an early lead but, unlike the first set, were able to maintain their advantage the entire time. NSU led by as many as five, and saw its lead cut to just two points (21-19) late in the set, but the Mocs were unable to overcome the deficit.
• The third set looked as if it might be highly competitive, but Nova Southeastern used an early 8-0 run to turn a 6-5 deficit into a 13-6 lead. It would be all the momentum the Sharks would need as FSC never really threatened and NSU took a 2-1 lead thanks to a 25-16 third-set win.
• With their backs to the wall, the Moccasins were able to earn a 25-17 win in the fourth set. Florida Southern maintained a slim lead in the early going before a 6-0 run late in the set put the Mocs up by eight (22-14). Allie Geary closed out the set with a kill to send the match to a decisive fifth set.
• Neither team was able to gain an advantage in the early stages of the fifth set as the teams found themselves tied at 7-7. That's when the Moccasins would mount a quick 4-0 run to make it 11-8 and put some distance between themselves and the Sharks. NSU scored the next point to make it 11-9, but the Mocs scored four of the final five points to earn a 15-10 fifth-set victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Florida Southern improved to 26-5 all-time against Nova Southeastern, including 14-2 at home. The victory moved the Mocs to 9-2 at home on the season, and 484-120 all-time at Jenkins Field House. Florida Southern has won 28 of 41 sets played in Jenkins Field House this season.
• Mattson's 26 kills were a career-high, easily surpassing her previous career-best of 20. Mattson hit a blistering .458 in the contest, committing just four attack errors in 48 attempts.
• Anna Tovo chipped in with 18 kills and 19 digs. She has now recorded double-digit kills in 35 consecutive matches dating back to last year.
• Brindl Langley had 17 digs on the day to push her career total to 1,691. She needs 59 more to move into second place in school history, and 124 more to break Sara Stewart's program record of 1,814.
UP NEXT
• Florida Southern travels to No. 23 Tampa on Tuesday night before heading to Lynn and Barry over the weekend. The Mocs also face Rollins on the road on Nov. 8 to finish a four-match road trip.
