Mocs Outlast Eagles in Five-Set Regular Season Finale

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Southern College volleyball team extended its win streak to a season-long six-straight Saturday afternoon as the Moccasins outlasted the Embry-Riddle Eagles in five, 3-2. The win marks the first season sweep for the Mocs over the Eagles since 2018 and gives FSC another key victory for NCAA postseason consideration.
 
The victory gives FSC a 20-9 regular season mark, the first 20-win season for the Mocs since 2018, and a 13-7 record in Sunshine State Conference play. The Eagles fall to 22-9 on the year and 13-7 on league action.  
 
The victory moved FSC one win away from 20 for the season as the Mocs improved to 19-9 on the year including 12-7 in Sunshine State Conference play. The Lions fell to 9-18 overall and 4-14 in league action. The Mocs finish the regular season tied for third in the SSC standings with Embry-Riddle but hold the 2-0 record versus the Eagles in 2023.
 
Junior Zoe Lowe had a breakout performance Saturday afternoon as she led the Mocs with a career-high 18 kills in the victory while hitting just four errors. The Bristol, Conn. native finished with an impressive .583 hitting percentage and also chipped in four blocks and four digs. Senior Mackenzie Petermann exploded in the fifth and decisive set as she was responsible for seven of FSC's 15 points in the period. She finished with 15 kills and 13 digs, her 32^nd career double-double and 16^th of the season. She also added two service aces and a pair of blocks.
 
Graduate student Elena Djokovic finished with 13 kills and 12 digs for her 11^th double-double of the season. She also tied for the team lead with three service aces and also assisted on a pair of blocks. Junior Madison Fowler was the only other Moc in double-figures as she chipped in 12 kills, a team-best five blocks and two digs.
 
Freshman setter Mary Kate Mulvaney handed out a team-best 30 assists while digging up a team and career-high 18 balls for her eighth double-double of the season. Junior setter Kiersten Kraus added 28 assists and 10 digs for her 18^th double-double of the season. She also tied for the team lead with three service aces and assisted on a block. Senior libero Caroline Chambers finished with 12 digs in the victory while also dishing out four assists.
 
The Eagles led in almost every statistical category including edging the Mocs in hitting percentage (.250-.215), digs (83-74) and kills (66-59) while the two teams tied in service aces (10-10) and blocks (9-9).
 
FSC opened the match by taking the opening two sets 25-20 and 25-22. The Eagles responded with back-t0-back dominating third and fourth sets, 25-13 and 25-18.
 
With the match on the line it looked as if the Eagles would run away with it as they opened the fifth with a 6-2 spurt. After the two teams traded the next two points, the Eagles sat one point away from the switchover at 7-3. With their backs against the wall, the Mocs responded with six-straight including four-straight points from Petermann. Fowler opened the run with a kill up the middle followed by a Djokovic service ace. Petermann then had a kill followed by a block assist along with Fowler. Petermann then went back-to-back to give the Mocs a 9-7 lead.
 
The Eagles took two of the next three points to cut the lead to 10-9 late in the period. Another kill by Petermann extended the lead back to two and the Kraus put down a service ace to secure a three-point advantage at 12-9. The Eagles fought off one point but an attack error followed by a Petermann ace gave the Mocs their first match point of the night at 14-10. An attack error gave Embry-Riddle life but Lowe and senior Emily Crescenzi combined on a block on the far side to end the set and match, 15-11.
 
The last time the Mocs ended the regular season on a six-match or longer win streak was in 2017 when FSC closed out the season with an 18-match win streak and went on to win the NCAA South Region Championship and advance all the way to the NCAA National Championship match.
 
The Mocs will now await the official NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship selection show will take place Monday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
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