WINTER PARK, Fla. — The Florida Southern College volleyball team (12-12, 6-10 SSC) defeated Rollins College (14-14, 3-12 SSC) for the second time this season in four sets on Saturday at Warden Arena, winning 25-15, 25-20, 21-25, 30-28. The Moccasins' blocking was pivotal, contributing seven total blocks in the match.
FSC began the first set with an early lead, capitalizing on a series of errors from Rollins. Junior
Elizabeth McDonald and freshman
Brielle Mullen were instrumental in securing points, with McDonald delivering key kills to maintain momentum. A service ace by senior
Morgan Word further extended the advantage for the Mocs.
As the set progressed, FSC sustained its scoring drive with contributions from junior
Tori Borton and freshman
Chloe Moreland. Despite a mid-set push from Rollins, including kills from Cameron Grange, Florida Southern closed the set with a decisive 25-15 lead, highlighted by a kill from Moreland.
The Mocs opened the second set with a decisive start, gaining an early edge with kills from junior
Catherine Sweeney and McDonald. As the set progressed, Moreland and Word each contributed key kills, allowing FSC to maintain momentum despite Rollins equalizing the score multiple times.
Midway through the set, Florida Southern regained the lead with Word's consistent offensive efforts, supported by assists from Borton. The team pulled ahead, extending their lead with a series of successful plays from Sweeney, who capped the set with a crucial kill to set up match point.
Florida Southern closed out the set confidently with a service ace, securing a 25-20 victory and extending their advantage in the match.
The third set opened with the Mocs quickly leveling the score at 4-4 after a service error by Rollins. FSC then surged ahead 7-4, capitalizing on multiple attack errors by RC, including a block by Word. Rollins regained momentum with a service ace from Jenna Garza and tied the score at 7-7.
The Moccasins managed to keep it tight, with McDonald and sophomore
Bali Coles contributing crucial kills, bringing the score to 18-18. However, Rollins responded with a series of points, including a service ace from Emma Gongora, to pull ahead 21-18.
Despite a service ace from Word that brought the Mocs within one point at 21-20, Rollins closed out the set with a 25-21 victory, aided by timely kills and service aces, to take the set.
In the fourth set, Florida Southern seized an early advantage with Coles and Borton securing the first two points through kills, assisted by Mullen. Despite Rollins closing the gap, McDonald and Word added crucial kills to maintain Florida Southern's lead, bringing the score to 12-7.
Rollins mounted a comeback, leveraging service aces and kills to level the score at 23-23. However, Florida Southern responded with decisive plays from Coles and McDonald, which were instrumental in pushing the match into extra points.
The set reached a tense climax as both teams traded points. Ultimately, Florida Southern capitalized on a critical attack error from Rollins and a final kill by Word, closing the set with a 30-28 victory.
Word led the team with 18.5 points, recording 14 kills and contributing three blocks. McDonald tallied 15 kills and added two blocks, finishing with 16.5 points. Coles anchored the defense with 19 digs, while sophomore
Nako Sasaki collected 22 digs and provided five assists. Borton facilitated the offense with 19 assists and posted 10 digs.
Marta Tsaneva led the Tars with 16 kills on 33 attempts, achieving a .364 hitting percentage while contributing 19 points overall. Makayla Moran was dominant at the net, amassing eight total blocks, including two solo efforts, and added six kills. Garza directed the offense with precision, dishing out 25 assists and maintaining a perfect hitting percentage from her single attack. Sarah Seabrooke anchored the defense, recording 23 digs, demonstrating resilience across four sets.
Looking ahead, the Moccasins will travel to face 13th-ranked Lynn at the de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center in Boca Raton, Florida. The match is set for Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.
