MELBOURNE, Fla. — The Florida Southern College volleyball team (10-8, 4-6 SSC) fell at Florida Tech (10-8, 5-5 SSC) 3-1 on Thursday evening at the Clemente Center, with set scores of 17-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-17.
The Mocs initiated the first set with a steady start, capitalizing on a bad set by Florida Tech's Cordelia Kearns to take an early lead. Senior
Morgan Word and freshman
Chloe Moreland delivered key kills, helping FSC maintain a slight edge. Despite some service errors, the team remained resilient, with sophomore
Bali Coles and junior
Elizabeth McDonald contributing significant points to keep the momentum.
As the set progressed, the Mocs extended their advantage through consistent play, including a mid-set surge fueled by multiple errors from Florida Tech's Ashley Rants. Word and Coles continued to make impactful plays, which helped the team regain control after Florida Tech briefly tied the score at 14-14.
FSC closed the set decisively, benefiting from Florida Tech's errors and strong offensive contributions, including a closing kill by Coles. The Mocs secured the set with a 25-17 win, establishing a solid start to the match.
Florida Tech opened the second set with a strong start, taking a 3-0 lead with contributions from Kearns. FSC responded as Coles and junior
Tori Borton provided key kills, bringing the score to 3-3. Word's service ace helped the Mocs pull within one at 6-5, but Florida Tech maintained their edge.
Florida Southern rallied again with a service ace by freshman
Brielle Mullen, tying the score at 8-8. Sophomore
Nako Sasaki's kill pushed FSC ahead briefly, but Florida Tech answered with a series of points to reclaim control at 16-10. Despite McDonald's efforts, Florida Tech extended their lead to 22-16.
In the closing stages, Florida Southern mounted a comeback with multiple service aces by Mullen, reducing the deficit to 23-21. However, Florida Tech secured the set with a kill from Devyn Glassgold, winning 25-22 and extending their overall lead.
Florida Tech opened the third set with strong momentum, quickly establishing a 5-1 lead courtesy of several successful attacks and a block by Hadley Waldren. Florida Southern responded with a brief rally, narrowing the gap to 8-6 with kills from Coles and sophomore
Mallory Baruch. However, Florida Tech regained control, extending their lead to 12-7 through consistent offensive pressure.
Word led a spirited comeback attempt for Florida Southern, contributing crucial kills to bring the score to 12-11. Despite this effort, Florida Tech maintained their advantage, pulling away to 18-12 with a series of effective plays by Kearns and Glassgold.
McDonald made an impact late in the set with two kills, but Florida Tech's offense proved too strong. The home team capitalized on Florida Southern's errors and closed the set 25-17, securing the set with a definitive margin.
Florida Tech closed the fourth set with significant momentum, capitalizing on a series of service aces by Elisa Broggio to take a lead over FSC. Despite the Mocs' early advantage, including kills by junior
Catherine Sweeney and Moreland, Florida Tech's service pressure reversed the tide, resulting in a 6-1 scoring run that pushed them ahead.
FSC fought back with contributions from McDonald and freshman
Layla Visser, keeping the score within reach. However, Florida Tech maintained their edge through consistent offensive execution and critical defensive stops, culminating in a 25-17 set victory.
Word led the team's offensive output with eight kills and two aces, contributing significantly to her 11.5 points total. Borton facilitated the attack with 17 assists and added six digs defensively. Sasaki anchored the defense with 19 digs, showcasing her reliability in backcourt play. Mullen provided versatility with 10 assists and added three aces, complementing her defensive effort of 11 digs.
Kearns led Florida Tech with 19.5 points, contributing 17 kills and maintaining a .234 hitting percentage over four games. She also added 14 digs and recorded two total blocks. Kenzie Delacher provided a strong performance in setting, with 21 assists and seven digs, playing a critical role in the team's playmaking. Waldren was effective in both offensive and defensive roles, scoring seven points with four kills and a .400 hitting percentage, while also contributing three total blocks.
Looking ahead, Florida Southern will travel to face Embry-Riddle on October 25 at the ICI Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. The match will begin at 4 p.m.
