Florida Southern Completes Season Sweep of Tritons

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Two early set leads didn't survive for the Eckerd volleyball team on Tuesday night against Florida Southern, as the Moccasins came from behind to win the first two sets on their way to a straight-sets victory over the Tritons in the McArthur Center.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Florida Southern 3, Eckerd 0 (22-25, 19-25, 21-25)
Records: Eckerd 11-8 (4-7 SSC); Florida Southern 16-6 (10-1 SSC)
All-Time Series: FSC leads, 63-10

HOW IT HAPPENED
* After a back-and-forth start to the first set, the Tritons used a four-point run that included two Stephanie Karlovics aces to open up a 13-8 lead.  The lead soon grew to six points (16-10), forcing Florida Southern to call timeout.  The stoppage in play seemed to be effective for the Mocs, who won the next four points and followed with a five-point run to take the lead at 19-17. Eckerd managed to get back within a point at 23-22 but FSC used a pair of Anna Tovo kills to pick up a 25-22 opening set win.
* Eckerd again took an early lead in the second set, building a 13-9 lead due in part to efficient hitting.  But once more, a Florida Southern timeout slowed the Tritons' momentum.  FSC took five of the next six points to tie at 14-14 and later used a four-point run to go ahead, 20-16.  EC took a page out of the visitors' book, calling a timeout and answering with three straight points to pull within one.  However, FSC put away four straight kills and went ahead two games to none after an Eckerd attack error ended a 25-19 set loss.
* For the third straight set, Eckerd took a 4-1 lead but was unable to build on it.  The Mocs rolled off four straight points and went ahead for good at 7-6 on a kill by Nicole Mattson.  After EC got back within two points at 16-14, Florida Southern won the next four rallies for a six-point lead.  The Tritons battled back to cut the deficit to two points (23-21) after two solo blocks by Rachel Cornatzer and Paula Hoffmann and an ace from Kaitlyn Sibson.  Mattson, though, got a side-out for FSC with a kill and another Triton attack error ended the set and the match.

NOTES AND NUMBERS
* Hoffmann led Eckerd on the attack with 15 kills. She had seven in the first set alone.
* Kali Boatwright posted her fourth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 12 digs.
* The Mocs won their ninth straight match tonight and have yet to lose in the month of October.
* FSC's attack was quite efficient in the first two sets, hitting .333 and .368 respectively.  Eckerd hit .154 for the match while the Mocs hit .281.
* Florida Southern won both regular-season contests this between the two programs in straight sets.  The Mocs defeated Eckerd in Lakeland on September 26.

UP NEXT
Eckerd travels to face Rollins College on Friday at 7:00 PM.  The Tars rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the McArthur Center last month to defeat the Tritons in five sets.