Box Score LAKELAND, FL – Florida Southern College volleyball won its 11th-straight Sunshine State Conference opener in a thrilling 3-1 victory over Saint Leo on Friday at Jenkins Field House. The No. 22 Moccasins (7-1, 1-0 SSC) won their fourth-straight contest against the Lions (5-4, 0-1) and extended their home winning streak to 10 matches.
The match included 11 lead changes and two sets that went to extra points. The decisive fourth set, which ended when Brindl Langley put down an ace to make it 31-29, was the Mocs' longest set in more than three years.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Florida Southern never trailed in the first set and led by as many as six points (12-6) in the early going. However, the Lions were able to cut the deficit to just two (21-19) late in the set. Whitney Drost would score three of FSC's final four points, including the set-clinching ace, as the Moccasins earned a 25-20 first-set win.
• The Mocs led by as many as four points in the early stages of the second set, but Saint Leo was able to slowly mount a comeback and tied the set at 21-21. The Lions were able to stave off defeat twice in the late stages and even held a 26-25 lead after Anna Tovo committed back-to-back attack errors. With their backs to the wall, the Mocs scored three-straight points to take a 28-26 second-set win.
• FSC held an early lead in the third set, but was unable to maintain its advantage as Saint Leo eventually got out in front. Trailing 13-10, Florida Southern was able to tie the set at 13-13, but would never regain the lead as the Lions used a 9-3 run to jump in front en route to a 25-20 third-set win to make the match 2-1.
• The fourth and final set of the match was the most entertaining of the day, featuring four lead changes and 14 ties. The Mocs looked as if they may run away with the set after racing out to a 12-5 lead, but Saint Leo reeled off a 6-0 run to make it 12-11. The teams would stay neck-and-neck until Florida Southern jumped out to a 23-19 advantage. However, the Lions would not go quietly as they scored five in a row to make the score 24-23 and it looked as if a fifth set was in order. The teams would trade points until the score stood at 29-29, that's when Tovo came up with a huge kill and Langley served an ace to finish off the match and give FSC a 31-29 set victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• The fourth set, which ended in a 31-29 score, was Florida Southern's longest set since it took a 34-32 second-set win over Truman State on Sept. 13, 2013. The Moccasins fell to then No. 15 TSU by a 3-2 final.
• Nicole Mattson (15), Anna Tovo (14), Rachel Mostert (13) and Allie Geary (10) each finished with double-digit kills. Tovo has now recorded double-digit kills in 21-straight matches dating back to Oct. 24, 2015. Mostert's kill total was a new career high, her previous career-best was 11, which she accomplished twice as a sophomore in 2014.
• Brindl Langley tallied 19 digs in the contest to push her career total to 1,404. She currently ranks sixth in Florida Southern hstory in career digs and needs just 72 more to pass head coach Jill Stephens (1,475) for fifth in school history.
• The Mocs improved to 69-7 all-time against Saint Leo, including 36-1 at home. Florida Southern also improved to 476-118 at home since the program began in 1976.
• Bethany Besancenez finished with 47 assists in the match. It was her fourth match of the season with at least 40 assists. She has accomplished the feat nine times during her career.
UP NEXT
• Florida Southern begins a stretch of three-straight road matches when it travels to Eckerd for a 4 p.m. contest on Saturday. The road swing continues at Nova Southeastern (Sept. 23) and No. 19 Palm Beach Atlantic (Sept. 24).
