Volleyball Earns Split on Final Day of Ice Block Classic

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Florida Southern volleyball team closed out its trip to the "The Last Frontier" with a split including a tough 3-0 loss to Findlay followed by a 3-0 sweep of Black Hills State at the Denali State Bank Ice Block Classic. Two of the three sets versus Findlay went into extra points in a very close battle.
 
The Moccasins improve to 5-2 on the young season with the tough Sunshine State Conference schedule ramping up at the end of this week.
 
In a tough match offensively for the Mocs versus Findlay senior Ali Travis and junior Mackenzie Petermann shared the team lead with six kills each. Senior Jana Gilic was just behind with five kills. Petermann also shared the team lead in blocks in the match with two including one solo. The pair of Travis and Petermann nearly posted double-doubles with Travis finishing the match with nine digs and Petermann chipping in eight.
 
Senior Mika Garza handed out 27 assists while graduate student libero Beatrice Formilan led the team with 11 digs.
 
The Oilers held the Mocs to a .113 team hitting percentage while posting a .262 hitting percentage of their own. Findlay took the match 28-26, 25-17, 26-24.
 
Petermann led the way versus Black Hills State as she was the lone Moc in double-figures with 14 kills to go along with 11 digs. She also added a service ace to her effort. Travis finished just outside double-figures with nine kills and a team-high tying three service aces. Graduate student Emma Shaddix chipped in seven kills while adding four digs, a service ace and a block assist. Both Petermann and Shaddix posted plus-.300 hitting percentages with Petermann finishing at .333 while Shaddix hit .316 with just one error.
 
Garza dished out 30 assists while digging up 10 balls for a double-double. She also shared the team lead with three service aces. Formilan once again led the team in digs with 13. Gilic was a force a the net with three solo blocks over the three sets.
 
After a tough hitting performance in the opening set the Mocs responded with solid performances in the second and third set to finish at .196 for the match while holding Black Hills State to just .029.
 
Florida Southern took home the victory 25-15, 25-20, 25-17.
 
The Mocs will return home to prepare for Sunshine State Conference play which opens up this Thursday, September 8 with a road trip to Eckerd. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. The very next evening Florida Southern will play its conference home opener against the defending National Champions and top-ranked University of Tampa. The match will feature the annual pre-match Block Party on Mr. George's Green. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday night inside George W. Jenkins Field House. Read Full Article