LAKELAND, Fla. — Florida Southern College volleyball (10-5, 4-3 SSC) dropped a hard fought 3-1 match to third-ranked Barry University (14-1, 7-1 SSC) with scores of 25-23, 20-25, 25-18, 27-25 at Jenkins Field House. FSC's attack was led by a strong performance in the second set, recording 18 kills.
The Mocs opened the first set with strong defensive plays and capitalized on attack errors by Barry, quickly evening the score at 1-1. Sophomore
Lindsay Piktel and freshman
Whitney Mall were pivotal in maintaining momentum, with Piktel recording multiple kills and Mall contributing to an offensive push that resulted in a 10-8 lead for the home team. Barry responded with a series of attacks, tying the score multiple times and eventually taking a slim lead.
The set remained competitive as both teams exchanged points, with Florida Southern's freshman
Chloe Moreland and Mall continuing to find gaps in Barry's defense. However, Barry edged ahead during the latter stages with a crucial 5-0 run, including a key service ace and multiple kills. Despite FSC's efforts to close the gap, Barry secured the first set with a 25-23 win.
In the second set, the Mocs built early momentum with a series of defensive blocks, including contributions from freshman
Layla Visser and sophomore
Bali Coles, to establish a 3-0 lead. Barry responded with a few points to keep the score close, but service errors hindered their progress. Moreland and Coles added key kills, extending Florida Southern's lead to 16-9.
Barry attempted a comeback, narrowing the gap to 19-17 with a sequence of kills, but FSC maintained its composure. Mall and Visser closed out the set with decisive plays at the net. The set concluded with FSC securing a 25-20 win, evening the match at 1-1.
The third set began with Barry gaining early momentum, as Veronika Eremeeva delivered a series of kills and Thalia Iglesias secured a service ace, propelling Barry to a 4-0 start. Florida Southern responded with a kill from Coles, but Barry extended its lead to 7-2. Florida Southern managed to close the gap through a series of attack errors by Barry, narrowing the margin to 10-9.
Despite the efforts from the Mocs, including kills by senior
Morgan Word and Piktel, Barry maintained control, pushing their advantage to 16-10. Mall contributed with timely scores, yet Barry capitalized on additional errors and strategic plays to maintain their lead.
The set concluded with Barry solidifying their advantage, despite further efforts from Florida Southern, including a late kill by Piktel. Barry took the set 25-18, concluding with a decisive kill from Eremeeva.
FSC began the fourth set with Mall notching an early kill, assisted by freshman
Brielle Mullen, to tie the score 1-1. The set remained competitive, with Barry briefly pulling ahead before Moreland and Piktel added crucial points to keep the home team within striking distance. FSC managed to level the score multiple times, demonstrating resilience against Barry's attacks.
Midway through the set, Florida Southern's Word and Moreland delivered timely kills, while defensive efforts from Coles and Word helped neutralize Barry's advances. Mall and Visser added key points to bring the score to 20-20, maintaining a tense atmosphere as both teams traded points.
In the closing stages, the set reached a tie at 25-25, with Word securing a critical kill from an assist by junior
Tori Borton. Despite a strong effort and a tied score late in the set, Barry ultimately edged out Florida Southern, taking the final set 27-25.
Mall led the team's attack with 15 kills on 29 attempts, hitting a .448 clip and adding four block assists to her performance. Piktel contributed 15 kills with a hitting percentage of .300, supporting the team's overall effort. Borton orchestrated the play with 19 assists and added 14 digs, providing stability on defense. Mullen also facilitated the offense with 25 assists, complementing her 12 digs to help maintain the team's defensive integrity.
Iglesias stood out for Barry with 39 assists in four sets, contributing significantly to the team's offensive setup. Eremeeva was the leading scorer, tallying 19 points, including 16 kills. Ivana Zujovic and Francesca Good were key players at the net, each recording five total blocks to bolster Barry's defense. Valeriya Kozlova added 17 kills, displaying consistent offensive production.
Looking ahead, Florida Southern will face off against eighth-ranked Lynn at the George W. Jenkins Field House in Lakeland, Fla. on October 18. The match is set to commence at 4 p.m.
