LAKELAND, Fla. — Palm Beach Atlantic University (18-5, 8-4 SSC) defeated the Florida Southern College volleyball team (10-11, 4-9 SSC) in straight sets on Friday evening at Jenkins Field House, winning 25-23, 25-14, 25-19. Despite the loss, FSC recorded 58 digs, with a notable defensive effort from the team.
The Mocs opened the first set with a service ace by freshman
Brielle Mullen, briefly taking the lead. Palm Beach Atlantic responded with a series of kills from Kelsey Rogers, pushing ahead to 3-1. The Moccasins answered back with a service error from the opponent and kills from junior
Elizabeth McDonald and senior
Morgan Word, leveling the score at 5-5.
The set remained closely contested as Word added two more kills, helping FSC maintain a slim margin. However, the Sailfish capitalized on errors and regained the lead at 17-15. Florida Southern fought back with strikes from Word and junior
Catherine Sweeney, tying the score at 19-19.
Despite the back-and-forth battle, Palm Beach Atlantic edged ahead late in the set. Kaley Board's decisive kills and a final point from Rogers secured a 25-23 set victory for the visitors.
The second set began with junior
Tori Borton securing an early point for Florida Southern with a kill assisted by Mullen. Despite a back-and-forth exchange, including key contributions from Word and sophomore
Bali Coles, the Mocs struggled to maintain momentum as the Sailfish capitalized on a series of errors to pull ahead.
As the set progressed, PBA extended their lead through a combination of service aces and effective kills, while Florida Southern's efforts, highlighted by Borton and Sweeney's kills, were insufficient to regain control. Despite closing the gap to 9-9, the Moccasins were unable to sustain a rally, and the set concluded with Palm Beach Atlantic finishing strong, ending with a 25-14 advantage.
Florida Southern began the third set by capitalizing on Palm Beach Atlantic errors, with Coles serving two aces to initiate a 6-0 run. This early sequence provided an advantage, propelling the Mocs to a 7-2 lead. Borton and Sweeney contributed with key kills to maintain momentum.
Palm Beach Atlantic responded, narrowing the gap with a series of kills from Board and a service ace from Eduarda Dutra, leveling the score at 12-12. The visiting team then pushed ahead, benefitting from additional service aces and kills, eventually capturing a 17-14 lead. Despite Florida Southern's efforts, including a late service ace by Word, the Sailfish closed the set with a 25-19 victory.
Word led the offensive charge with 10 kills on 22 attempts, hitting at a .455 percentage and adding one ace. Coles contributed defensively with 12 digs and added seven kills and two aces. Borton tallied 13 assists and recorded eight digs, while sophomore
Nako Sasaki anchored the defense with a team-high 17 digs over the match.
Grace Reynolds led the Sailfish with 32 assists, contributing significantly to the setup play. Board was another key player, amassing 16.5 points, including 13 kills and three service aces. Rogers played a strong role defensively, recording five total blocks and achieving a .500 hitting percentage with nine kills.
Up next for the Moccasins, they will host Saint Leo on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. at George W. Jenkins Field House in Lakeland, Florida.
