FORT MYERS, Fla.- We continue our countdown of the Top 10 FSW Athletics Moments of the 2020-2021 year today with our #8 moment; The Bucs Volleyball team winning their first Suncoast Conference Championship.
The Florida SouthWestern State Volleyball program began in 2019 with high expectations. The Bucs entered an athletics department at FSW that had seen three of four teams win Conference Championships the previous year. After having their second season pushed back to the Spring due to Covid, it was their turn to hoist a trophy in 2021 which brings us to our #8 moment on the countdown, Bucs Volleyball clinching their first Suncoast Conference Title.
A red hot Bucs team took the floor in Suncoast Credit Union Arena already having picked up a share of their first Conference Championship with a win over Polk State two nights prior when they squared off against State College of Florida on March 4th. FSW entered the match 13-3 and a perfect 6-0 in Suncoast Conference play, but they wanted more. After a slow start, they closed the first set on a 15-6 run to win it 25-14 and played the second to nearly the same script, winning 25-17 to go up 2-0 at the intermission. With the title in sight, it was all FSW in the third as the Bucs blew the Manatees away 25-11 to finish off the sweep and the celebration began as the Suncoast Conference Championship trophy was painted Purple and Aqua in 2021. The Bucs got contributions up and down the roster as Julia De Sa and Kianie Cummings led the team with 11 and 7 kills respectively while Viktoriya Ivanova pulled up 12 digs and Yasso Amin stuffed 7 Manatee attacks to anchor the defense.
The Bucs went on to win their final conference match of the year against Hillsborough to finish off a perfect 8-0 Suncoast Conference schedule before advancing to their first NJCAA National Tournament where they finished 8th.
Check back in tomorrow as we continue our countdown with the #7 moment of the 2020-2021 FSW Athletics Year provided by the Bucs Softball team!
#10- Roberts Breaks Steals Record
#9- Williams' Monster Double-Double
#8- Bucs Volleyball Clinches First Conference Title
#7- 7/15/21
#6- 7/16/21
#5- 7/19/21
#4- 7/20/21
#3- 7/21/21
#2- 7/22/21
#1- 7/23/21