LAKELAND, Fla. – Making her collegiate debut, sophomore outside hitter
Mackenzie Petermann led the Florida Southern College volleyball team to an exciting four-set win over Eckerd College in the Moccasins' 2021 home opener.
Playing an official match on their home court at Streamline Sale Arena inside Jenkins Field House for the first time in 681 days, the Mocs (5-1, 2-0 SSC) rode Petermann's red-hot performance to their second straight Sunshine State Conference (SSC) win. The Richmond Hill, Georgia, native paced all players with 21 kills, the most by a Florida Southern hitter in a match so far this season.
The match was also appropriately preceded by a "Block Party" on Mr. George's Green, foreshadowing the excellent defensive effort displayed by both teams. The Mocs and Tritons combined for 27 total blocks, while FSC equaled a season-high with 12.
In Their Own Words
Head coach
Chris Keen on
Mackenzie Petermann's highlight-reel performance against the Tritons…
"Mackenzie did a great job stepping up today, and she played very well in the front row and backcourt. Her teammates also did an incredible job to help get her open and put her in a lot of positive situations where she could score. It was certainly a well-rounded effort. It was a fun match to watch with a great atmosphere in Jenkins Field House."
How It Happened
- Florida Southern set the tempo from the get-go with a strong first set, a 25-20 win.
- Half of the team's blocks were earned in the first set, including four block assists from senior middle Tierra Porter, three from Emma Shaddix, two total blocks from Ali Travis, and one solo rejection by Petermann.
- After hitting .355 as a team in the opening set, the Mocs couldn't match that pace in the second, as numerous offensive miscues led to a negative hitting percentage.
- However, momentum quickly swung back into Florida Southern's favor in the third, as the Mocs won seven of the first eight points to take a commanding lead.
- Leading 9-4, Southern used a five-point run to push the gap to double-digits, thanks in part to a Megan Carron ace that made it 14-4.
- Although the Tritons were able to come within seven points, a rally with three consecutive FSC kills – two of which were floored by Petermann, all but sealed the third.
- The Mocs started the fourth with a comfortable lead at 4-1, which expanded to 8-3 following a Petermann solo block.
- Following an Eckerd timeout, the Tritons clawed back to within one, 12-11, before taking their first lead of the set at 18-17.
- Jana Gilic was subbed in for a brief moment late in the fourth but made an immediate impact. The Serbian native used her long wingspan to lift a ball over the Eckerd blockers for a kill that evened the score at 22-all.
- Ali Travis knocked down a kill on the following play to give FSC the lead, and a pair of errors by the Tritons allowed the Mocs to hold on for the victory.
Inside the Numbers
- The Mocs have won their first two SSC matches of the season for the first time since 2017.
- All-time, FSC is now 76-12 against the Tritons.
- As a team, Florida Southern hit .201, as compared to a .097 attack percentage from Eckerd.
- Petermann led all hitters with 21 kills, followed by Travis with 14.
- At the net, Porter and Emma Shaddix built a wall with seven and six total blocks, respectively.
- Setter Cassidy Markel handed out 48 assists to go along with 11 digs.
Up Next
Florida Southern's three-match homestand continues on Friday, September 24, when the Moccasins host Florida Tech for a conference tilt at 7:00 p.m.
