WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach Atlantic University (11-4, 1-3 SSC) rallied for a five-set victory over the Florida Southern College volleyball team (8-4, 2-2 SSC) at Rubin Arena on Saturday, overcoming an early deficit to win 21-25, 19-25, 25-13, 26-24, 15-8.
FSC opened the first set with a strong offensive push, marked by a kill from sophomore
Bali Coles off freshman
Brielle Mullen's setup. The teams traded points early, but a service ace by freshman
Payton Nazzari shifted momentum, helping the Mocs build a lead at 9-6. Key contributions from freshman
Chloe Moreland and sophomore
Lindsay Piktel extended the advantage, with Moreland delivering consecutive kills.
The Mocs maintained control through effective plays from senior
Morgan Word and Coles, who capitalized on Palm Beach Atlantic's errors to stretch the lead to 21-15. Despite Palm Beach Atlantic's late effort to close the gap, a decisive kill by Coles, set up by junior
Tori Borton, sealed the set for the Mocs at 25-21, giving them an early match lead.
The second set began with Palm Beach Atlantic taking an early lead, propelled by Kelsey Rogers' impactful plays. Florida Southern responded steadily, with junior
Catherine Sweeney securing a key point to keep the score within reach at 4-2. Despite PBA's initial momentum, Florida Southern closed the gap consistently, highlighted by Word's kill and a service ace from Nazzari, narrowing the deficit to 10-8.
Midway through the set, Florida Southern shifted the momentum significantly with a series of points, including a notable block by junior
Nicole Russell and a kill from Coles, tying the score at 13-13. Freshman
Whitney Mall contributed crucial points to help Florida Southern take the lead, and effective plays by Moreland and Borton extended the advantage.
Florida Southern maintained control in the closing stages, with Moreland continuing to deliver decisive kills. The set concluded with Florida Southern sealing their victory at 25-19, moving ahead in the match.
The third set began with Palm Beach Atlantic extending its lead, capitalizing on attack errors by Florida Southern to establish a 5-1 advantage. Florida Southern responded with a series of kills from Mall, Word, and Piktel, leveling the score at 5-5. However, Palm Beach Atlantic regained momentum with key plays by Nae Jordan and Sydney Corbett, widening the gap to 16-12.
The Mocs continued to fight back, with Coles contributing several kills, but Palm Beach Atlantic's consistency in attack and service aces allowed them to pull away. A late surge by the Sailfish, highlighted by multiple service aces and kills from Jordan, closed out the set with a 25-13 victory.
The fourth set opened with a strong start from the Moccasins, as Coles landed a kill from Mullen's assist, marking the initial point. Piktel and Word further extended the lead with key plays, benefiting from the Sailfish's attack errors and strong blocking by Word and Mall. This allowed the Mocs to build a 4-1 advantage.
The Sailfish responded with a sustained effort, capitalizing on a series of Florida Southern errors and service aces by Maggie Patterson to take a 12-9 lead. Despite a comeback effort from the Moccasins, featuring kills by Russell and Word, the Sailfish maintained their edge with contributions from Kaley Board and Grace Reynolds.
In the closing stages of the set, Florida Southern managed to tie the score at 23-23 with Piktel's kill and an attack error from PBA. However, the Sailfish regained momentum in the final plays, securing a 26-24 victory in the set on an attack error by the Mocs and a decisive kill by Corbett.
The decisive fifth set between Florida Southern and Palm Beach Atlantic began with the Sailfish establishing early momentum, opening with a 6-0 run. Florida Southern struggled initially to find their rhythm, with Coles and Mall committing early attack errors. Despite the slow start, the Moccasins managed to gain some traction as Jordan's attack error, blocked by Word and Piktel, helped narrow the gap.
Florida Southern attempted a comeback with contributions from Word, who notched a kill and a block in quick succession, bringing the score to 9-6 in favor of the Sailfish. However, the Sailfish responded strongly, maintaining their lead through efficient plays, including kills from Harper Stokes and Corbett. Florida Southern capitalized on service errors by Palm Beach Atlantic but ultimately could not overcome the deficit, closing the set with a 15-8 loss.
Word led the team with 16.5 points, posting 13 kills and contributing significantly with five total blocks. Coles recorded 14 kills and demonstrated her defensive capabilities with 17 digs. Mullen facilitated the offense with 26 assists, while sophomore
Nako Sasaki added depth to the defense by collecting 15 digs.
Patterson has been a key contributor for the Sailfish, delivering five service aces and 20 digs over five matches. Reynolds led the team in assists, recording 42, while also adding four kills and a perfect serving percentage with zero errors. Board amassed 17.5 points, the highest on the team, with 16 kills and three block assists. Rogers stood out defensively, leading the team with seven total blocks, including one solo block. Stokes boasted a high hitting percentage of .571, contributing eight kills on 14 attempts.
Looking ahead, Florida Southern College will face Rollins College at the George W. Jenkins Field House in Lakeland, Fla., on Friday, October 10. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m.
