LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern volleyball team is ready for its 2022 campaign. Following a strong spring season, the Moccasins have been back on campus practicing since August 8 preparing for their home tournament, the FSC Volleyball Classic, which will take place this Friday and Saturday.
 
The Mocs will play three matches over the two-day event while welcoming in Augusta, Bloomfield, Lander and Lynn. The tournament will kick-off a 30-match schedule that features a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Invitational. Florida Southern will also participate in the annual Gulf South Conference/Sunshine State Conference Crossover which will take place in Birmingham, Ala. in 2022.
 
"We are really excited to travel to Alaska to compete against some teams we don't see very often," said head volleyball coach Chris Keen. "It will be great competition which should prepare us for our conference schedule. The SSC is tough to rank this year. As always, I anticipate we will see a lot of parity within the conference and a lot of great battles along the way."
 
Coach Keen also mentioned the tough field competing in the FSC Volleyball Invitational which features the 2021 NCAA Southeast Region Champion Augusta who advanced to the final eight last season. Bloomfield advanced to the 2021 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship match while Lander fell in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals.
 
A trio of upperclassmen have been leading the way this preseason both on and off the court according to coach Keen. Graduate students Emma Shaddix and Beatrice Formilan along with junior Mackenzie Petermann have taken a leadership role among the team. Shaddix is entering her fifth year with the Florida Southern volleyball program while Formilan is entering her fourth season after transferring from Xavier University of Louisiana following her freshman season. Petermann is beginning her third year with the program but she has been a leading force on the court for the Mocs every season she has been on the court.
 
Shaddix is coming off a 2021 season in which she finished in the top four on the team in both kills and blocks which also producing in the classroom, making the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. She had a strong exhibition match against Saint Leo earlier in the preseason where she led the team in blocks and service aces while finishing tied for second in kills. Formilan was named Third Team All-SSC last season while also taking home a pair of SSC Defensive Player of the Week honors. She finished second in the conference in digs per set at 5.01 which also ranks second in the Florida Southern Record Book for digs per set in a season. She also ranked second on the team in service aces last season. Petermann was a Second Team All-SSC selection in 2021 and was named to the SSC All-Freshman Team despite being in her second year on the team due to the lack of a full season in 2020-21. She ranked third in the conference in kills per set (3.65) and finished with double-digit kills in 18 of the 22 matches in which she appeared.
 
The Mocs will be without the services of 2021 Team MVP Tierra Porter as well as Erica Ronda, who led the team in service aces while also ranking third in digs, who exhausted their eligibility this past fall. Despite their absence, the Mocs return four of the top five kill totals from last season as well as six of the top seven service ace leaders, six of the top seven dig leaders and five of the top six block leaders.
 
Another notable returner is junior Ali Travis who was top three on the team in kills, digs and service aces last season. She contributed 12 double-digit kill performances last season while finishing with two or more service aces in 10 matches.
 
One area that has impressed coach Keen this preseason are the middle blockers. Returners Jana Gilic (Sr.), Emily Crescenzi (Jr.) and Madison Fowler (So.) along with newcomer Morgan Word (Fr.)  have all stepped up their performances this preseason.
 
"All four of our middle blockers have really impressed me this preseason," said coach Keen. "All have different strengths they bring to the court and all have shown consistency though the entire preseason. They keep pushing each other to get better every day. It's an exciting battle to watch!"
 
Fowler was one student-athlete coach Keen said he could see playing a bigger role in 2022. The Detroit, Mich. native saw action in just seven matches last season but based on this past spring and the first few weeks of practice she looks to make a big impact this season. Coach Keen mentioned she was someone who has stayed patient and is really thriving at the moment.
 
When asked if there was one newcomer who could make an immediate impact on the team coach Keen stayed within the middle blocker group and said Word has been playing exceptionally well this preseason. He mentioned she has picked up the system very quickly and could have an impact as early as the opening weekend.
 
The two veterans of the group, Gilic and Crescenzi, have pretty strong resumes as well. Gilic finished in the top five on the team in both blocks and kills last season while finishing sixth in service aces. She had nine matches with three or more blocks including a season-best five versus Embry-Riddle. Crescenzi finished second in blocks last season behind Porter. She had 12 matches with two or more blocks including a season-best seven versus Lynn.
 
Junior Cassidy Markel returns at setter for the Mocs in 2022. She started all 21 matches for FSC last season while averaging an SSC-best 10.52 assists per set. She was top six on the team in service aces, digs and blocks as well. She was a three-time SSC Setter of the Week and finished in the classroom with a perfect 4.00 GPA.
 
Overall, coach Keen sees a lot of depth within the 2022 roster with battles going on at nearly every position. He said it has been a lot of fun watching the team compete day in and day out to try to get better at every position.
 
Assisting coach Keen along the way are second-year assistant coach Tiffani Moore, first-year assistant coach and head beach volleyball coach Makena Wilson '20 as well as volunteer coach Tabitha Anne Pennekamp Wright who is entering her fourth year with the program.
 
"The volleyball staff is top notch this year," said coach Keen. "Tiffani Moore has a season under her belt and is settling in with her new role as the defensive coordinator. Makena Wilson has been an amazing "re"-addition to Mocs Volleyball. She has already made a huge impact on our team and is bringing back some high-level competitive spirit which will prove to be vital for our success this season. Volunteer coach Tabitha Pennekamp continues to keep us unified and is an amazing influence on our players. She is our rock!"
 
The Mocs will open up the 2022 season this Friday, Aug. 26 at 2:30 p.m. versus Lander and 7 p.m. versus 2021 NCAA Southeast Region Champion Augusta inside George W. Jenkins Field House for the opening day of the FSC Volleyball Classic.