FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #8 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers began the second round of Suncoast Conference play in style Thursday night in Suncoast Credit Union Arena, sweeping the visiting St. Petersburg Titans 3-0 to sweep the season series between the two and move to 12-3 overall on the year. 

 

FSW got off to somewhat of a slow start in the first set, but held a two point advantage at 10-8 after a big block from Julia De Sa and Yasso Amin.  They stepped on the gas from there, going on a 13-2 run highlighted by a trio of kills from Amanda Mendes and two more from De Sa to give themselves a commanding 23-10 lead late in the set. A St. Pete service error gave the Bucs set point and an attack error by the Titans gifted the Bucs the first 25-14 to give them a 1-0 lead in the match.  

 

The second was never close.  The Bucs jumped out to a 9-4 lead on back to back blocks from Kianie Cummings and Maria Petkova on one pin and then Cummings and Baker on the other to give them an early five point advantage.  They extended their lead to 14-7 on a kill from Riley Oglevie followed by an ace from Baker midway through.  FSW pushed their lead to double digits on another big block  and coasted to a 25-15 win to go ahead 2-0 in the match.  

 

An early stand at the service line for Amin including a pair of aces, staked FSW out to a 6-2 lead to begin the third.  A solo stuff from Cummings later in the set made it 11-5 FSW and they held the six point lead to 16-10.  A big dig on the backrow from Viktoriya Ivanova started a pretty play for the Bucs which ended in a kill from Kellen Valentim to make it 20-13 and FSW closed out the Titans on an overpass kill from Cummings to take the set 25-17 and the match 3-0.  

 

FSW hit .338 in the match getting eight kills from De Sa and seven from Cummings in the win.  Thanks to a big block, the Bucs held St. Pete to just a .013 hitting mark on the night.  Cummings finished with six blocks while Petkova had four and Amin three for FSW.  Baker dished out 29 assists in the win while De Sa led the Bucs with 11 digs defensively.  

 

The Bucs improve to 12-3 on the year with the victory while remaining unbeaten in Suncoast Conference play at 5-0.  St. Petersburg remains winless at 0-7 and 0-6 in league play.  

 

FSW will now turn their attention to Polk State in a key conference battle on Tuesday as the 8th ranked Bucs head to Winter Haven to take on the 9th ranked Eagles in a 6 PM first serve.