Box Score MELBOURNE, Fla. - Beatrice Formilan and Florida Southern College volleyball had a historic night at the Clemente Center on the digs front as the Moccasins pulled the reverse sweep against Florida Tech on Friday night, winning 3-2. The Moccasins (6-17, 2-11 SSC) recorded 122 digs agains the Panthers (4-20, 1-12 SSC), the second-highest single-match performance in school history. Formilan thrived with 35 digs, the sixth-most in program history for a single match. The Mocs will have another road contest on Saturday against Embry-Riddle before the last two home matches of the season against Tampa (Tuesday, Nov. 5) and Senior Night against Rollins (Thursday, Nov. 7).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Florida Tech got off to a hot start with a 9-4 run that snowballed into a 23-12 lead. Florida Southern earned five straight points off of two kills each from Lena Bondar and Erica Ronda but was unable to bridge the gap, falling 25-17.
- A game of runs ensued in set two as a 5-0 start from the Panthers was matched by the Moccasins. FT built a 14-9 lead but FSC again closed the gap with another 5-0 run. The Moccasins gained a 23-22 lead off of a Courtney Charneco service ace but the Panthers responded with two kills and an ace to take set two, 25-23.
- Set three saw a fierce battle, with neither side leading by more than four points at any time during the set. The Moccasins returned the favor to Florida Tech at the end of set three, scoring three-straight points on three kills from Raeley Matthews to force a fourth set with a 25-23 victory.
- The Mocs set out on a blistering pace to start set four, earning the first six points and building a 12-4 lead. Florida Tech fought back, earning seven of the next eight points to draw within two (13-11). The small Moc buffer would collapse at 18-15, with the Panthers scoring four-straight points to earn their first lead of the fourth set. A marathon extra-point finish ensued, as FSC would earn set points at 24-23, 27-26 and 28-27 while FT had match points at 25-24 and 26-25. The Moccasins closed out set four with an Ali Travis kill and a Matthews ace to force a fifth set and threaten a fifth set.
- The fifth set was all Florida Southern as the Mocs rallied off four straight en route to an 8-2 lead. The Moccasins scored three of their last four points on kills as they won the set, 15-6, and complete the 3-2 reverse sweep.
- Ali Travis led the team with 15 kills, followed by Bondar (14) and Rachael Martin (12). Beatrice Formilan dazzled with 35 digs, with teammates Travis (28) and Annie Collins (23) also contributing to the team's 122 digs on the night. Collins added 57 assists
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Florida Southern now leads the all-time series 68-9 with a 30-7 record in Melbourne.
- The reverse sweep is the first under the tenure of head coach Chris Keen and the first for Southern since Sept. 27, 2016, when the Mocs shocked No. 19 Tampa at home in a 24-26, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-13 nail-biter. The last time the Moccasins pulled the reverse sweep on the Panthers was Oct. 24, 2007, when FSC rebounded from 29-31 and 24-30 first and second sets with 30-21, 30-24 and 15-10 sets to seal the comeback in Melbourne.
- The Mocs are undefeated (2-0) this season in five-set matches.
- FSC's 122 digs are t-14th for a match this season across all of NCAA Division II. The performance is the second-highest in program history behind 133 digs earned against Tampa on Nov. 14, 1989.
- Formilan's 35 digs are the sixth-highest in program history for a single match. The sophomore is currently averaging 5.00 digs per set a mark that would place her second in program history for a single season behind Courtney Veasey's 2004 season (5.33).
UP NEXT
- Southern will have another road match on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. against Embry-Riddle before returning home for the last two home matches of the season with contests against Tampa (Tuesday, Nov. 5) and Rollins (Thursday, Nov. 7), the latter of which will be Senior Night.
