Moccasins Host FSC Volleyball Classic to Open 2023 Campaign

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College volleyball team under newly appointed Head Coach Ashlee Crowder is set for its 2023 debut as the Moccasins host the FSC Volleyball Classic which will feature five matches over Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1-2. Crowder welcomes back the bulk of the 2022 roster along with a pair of transfers and four freshmen.
 
"We are very excited for this upcoming season," said coach Crowder. "We have a lot of new faces added to our roster. The camaraderie we have been able to establish since the start of preseason is fantastic. The players are all clicking and getting along, so we are using that this season as one of our key intangibles."
 
The Mocs return three of their seven starters from last season including senior outside hitter Mackenzie Petermann, graduate student middle Jana Gilic and junior middle Madison Fowler. Crowder believes the trio along with graduate transfer outside hitter Elena Djokovic, junior transfer setter Kiersten Kraus, junior defensive specialist Megan Carron, junior outside hitter Zoe Lowe and freshman setter Mary Kate Mulvaney will compete for the seven starting spots. Senior defensive specialist Caroline Chambers, senior setter Cassidy Markel and senior middle Emily Crescenzi will also be in the mix to compete for playing time early in the season.
 
The Mocs earned their 33^rd appearance in NCAA postseason play last season as FSC was selected as an at-large berth into the NCAA Division II South Region Championship. Florida Southern entered as the No. 7 seed and took on the No. 2 seed Lynn in the opening round.
 
Petermann started 29 matches for the Moccasins last season while earning Third Team All-Sunshine State Conference honors. She posted nine double-doubles and led the Mocs with 354 kills on the year. Gilic was a force at the net for the Mocs in 2022 as she posted a team-high 1.00 blocks per set average while starting 21 matches. Fowler started 29 matches for the Mocs while leading the team in total blocks with 79. Lowe will be looking for an increased role in 2023 after starting four matches in 2022. She saw limited action in the front row but looks to improve those numbers this season. Another Moccasin looking for increased production is Carron who has dealt with injuries throughout her time in Lakeland. After appearing in 21 matches as a freshman, Carron had to sit out the entire 2022 season due to injury. She will look to solidify the libero role for the Mocs this season.
 
Djokovic and Kraus look to make an immediate impact after transferring from NCAA Division I institution. Djokovic joins the Mocs from Stetson University where she was a two-time All-ASUN performer and three-time ASUN Player of the Week. Kraus comes to Lakeland from Kent State University where she saw action in 40 matches over two seasons of action. She can play both setter and outside hitter and will be a force on the 2023 Moccasin squad. The final newcomer in the mix for a starting spot is Mulvaney who has impressed coach Crowder in her short time on campus. Mulvaney came into preseason camp ready to battle for playing time and brings with her a solid prep career where she was named All-State in Missouri while leading her team to the State Tournament for three-straight seasons.
 
The Mocs will face another tough campaign in 2023 with the unrelenting Sunshine State Conference schedule along with two non-conference tournaments to open the year. FSC also has plans to compete at the 2023 South Region Crossover in Orlando where the SSC will compete against teams out of the Gulf South Conference.
 
"We have a tough first weekend," said coach Crowder. "We are scheduled to face Washburn for the first match of the 2023 season, who happens to be a top 25 ranked opponent. They compete in a tough conference and it's going to be exciting lining up with them for the first one of the year to get us prepared for the rest of the season. We have to be prepared for each conference opponent each week in the Sunshine State Conference. We have multiple in-conference teams who are ranked inside the top 25, and if not ranked, some are receiving votes."
 
The Mocs will welcome in No. 6 Barry, No. 17 Washburn and Flagler for the opening weekend FSC Volleyball Classic. FSC will take on No. 17 Washburn Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. to open the 2023 season before closing out the Classic with a 3 p.m. match versus Flagler on Saturday. Following the opening weekend, FSC will head to Indianapolis, Ind. to compete at the UIndy Invitational. The Mocs will face off against the hosts as well as Central State, McKendree and Notre Dame College. Florida Southern will get right to SSC action following the UIndy Invitational as the Mocs take on Saint Leo and Tampa at home during the opening weekend of action Sept. 15-16. In the middle of the tough SSC schedule, the Mocs will take the weekend of Oct. 20-21 to compete at the South Region Crossover in Orlando, Fla. FSC closes out the home portion of its schedule Nov. 11 versus Rollins for Senior Day and closes out the regular season on the road at Embry-Riddle on Nov. 18.
 
Head Coach Ashlee Crowder was named the fifth head coach in Florida Southern College volleyball history in January of 2023. She spent three seasons, 2018-2020, as an assistant coach at FSC before leaving to take the head coaching position at Florida Tech.
 
"Competitiveness, camaraderie, discipline and integrity… these words are in our team core values," said Coach Crowder when asked what fans should expect out of a team under the leadership of Coach Crowder. "As I've said before, we have to be prepared to compete and be hungry to win. We have to create a good sense of camaraderie amongst one another, on and off court. We must be disciplined, also on and off court. Discipline in the classroom, discipline in weight room, and exude discipline on the court. Lastly and I think the most important, is to be a good human. I preach to my team to treat people with respect, and love one another. I want hungry volleyball players, who want to continue to learn, grow, and get better, as not only volleyball players, but as people during their time here at Florida Southern."
 
The Mocs open the 2023 season this Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. as they host No. 17 Washburn in their opening match of the FSC Volleyball Classic.