ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Florida Southern College volleyball team (11-12, 5-10 SSC) fell in straight sets to Eckerd College (15-10, 5-9 SSC) on Friday evening at McArthur Center, falling 25-17, 25-13, 25-21.
Florida Southern began the first set with a strong kill by junior
Catherine Sweeney, assisted by freshman
Brielle Mullen, to get their side on the board after the Tritons' early 3-0 lead. Despite service errors hindering their momentum, the Mocs managed to capitalize on Eckerd's mistakes with timely blocks, including one by senior
Morgan Word that narrowed the gap to 6-3.
The Tritons maintained their lead, extending it to 12-8, but FSC responded with a sequence of kills from Sweeney and Word, closing in to 13-10. Another service ace by junior
Tori Borton brought the score to 18-14, showcasing key moments of resilience from the Moccasins.
As the set progressed, Eckerd pulled away, reaching a 23-16 advantage. Florida Southern continued to fight back with sophomore
Bali Coles contributing a kill to make it 24-17. However, a service error by the Mocs concluded the set with Eckerd ahead at 25-17.
Florida Southern began the second set with momentum, as Sweeney's kill, assisted by Mullen, followed by a successful attack from Borton, gave the team an early 2-0 lead. However, Eckerd responded with a series of points, capitalizing on multiple kills from Kinga Michalska and Gabi Jedrzejczak, shifting the momentum and taking a 5-2 advantage.
Despite efforts from the Mocs, including a kill by Word, Eckerd extended their lead with a strong service game and several blocks, reaching a 12-3 score. The visitors managed to reduce the deficit slightly with contributions from Word and Borton, but Eckerd maintained control.
The set concluded with the Tritons sealing the frame 25-13, despite late points from Florida Southern, including a service ace by Borton. This result put EC ahead as they continued to build on their lead from the first set.
The third set began with Mullen scoring the first point for Florida Southern. The visitors then experienced a series of tied scores, with Coles and junior
Elizabeth McDonald contributing crucial kills to keep the match competitive. Borton added a service ace, pushing the Mocs ahead 7-4, before Eckerd tied it again at 7-7.
Momentum shifted several times as both teams exchanged points, with Word delivering a service ace to reclaim a lead for FSC. Despite several errors, including attack errors by Sweeney and Coles, the Moccasins stayed within striking distance, narrowing the deficit to 18-17 with a block by Coles.
Eckerd, however, managed to widen the gap once more, reaching a 23-19 lead. Borton and Sweeney managed late kills, but Florida Southern could not overcome the final stretch. The set concluded with Eckerd taking the set 25-21.
Sweeney led Florida Southern with nine kills on 18 attempts, recording a hitting percentage of .333. Borton contributed significantly with 10 assists and added three service aces during the match. Word tallied six kills and two service aces, amassing a total of nine points. Mullen facilitated the offense with a team-high 13 assists while also collecting 11 digs.
Kaitlyn Dohs led the Tritons with nine kills on 18 attempts, achieving a .389 hitting percentage and contributing 12 digs. Michalska added a team-high 10 kills on 27 attempts, with a .296 hitting percentage, and recorded a solo block and an assist block for a total of two blocks. Jedrzejczak was pivotal as well, providing six kills on 11 attempts for a .545 hitting percentage, alongside her 22 assists and 11 digs. Additionally, Sydney Williams made an impact at the service line with two aces, while also contributing six digs defensively.
Looking ahead, Florida Southern will travel to face Rollins on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. at the Harold & Ted Alfond Sports Center in Winter Park, Florida.
