Posted: Sep 24, 2022
MELBOURNE, Fla.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers shook off a slow start for a 3-1 road win Saturday afternoon against Eastern Florida State, getting 21 kills from Barbara Koehler and 12 more from the birthday girl Alondra Alarcon to remain unbeaten at 14-0 on the year.
The upstart Titans, who entered Saturday's contest already with their highest win total since the 2016 season, came out firing on all cylinders against the top ranked Bucs, taking an early lead and holding it through the middle of the first set at 13-12. FSW answered, going in front 18-16 on back to back kills from Barbara Koehler and Alondra Alarcon later in the period. The lead for the Bucs was short lived though as Eastern picked up a sideout and went on to score the next four points to push back in front 20-16. The Bucs never recovered and Eastern went on to take the set 25-21 to go ahead 1-0 in the match.
Things didn't get any better for the Bucs early in the second as the Titans came out on fire once again, scoring the first six points of the period to take a 6-0 lead. Slowly FSW crept back in, drawing to within two on a Roberta Purashaj to Julia Lawrenz hook up in the middle before tying the score at 12 midway through on a kill from Izzy Collier out of the middle. It remained a nip and tuck affair as neither team could get a foothold, finding themselves deadlocked later in the set at 19. A timeout for the Bucs turned out to be just what the doctor ordered as Purashaj and Lawrenz hooked up once again out of the break to put FSW in front and the Bucs stormed to the finish line, scoring six of the final seven points of the period to win it 25-20 and even the match at 1.
With momentum on their side, it was FSW racing out to an early 6-2 lead in the third, highlighted by a pair of big blocks from Collier and Maria Cecilia. The Bucs didn't relent, extending their lead to a half dozen midway through the period at 12-6 before blowing things wide open at 19-7 later in the period after relentless pressure at both pins from Koehler, Alarcon, and Cecilia. Eastern finally found some footing late in the set, but it was far too little too late as FSW closed out the Titans 25-16 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Early in the fourth it looked like the two teams may be headed to a fifth set as the Titans and Bucs were velcroed together at 9 after 18 points went by. A pair of kills from Koehler followed by a solo stuff from the sophomore put FSW up three and they used the momentum to go on an 8-1 spurt to all but put the match away as they led it 17-10. Celebrating her 18th birthday, Alarcon smashed two more kills to the ground to make it 21-13 FSW late and Maiana Coelho found Victoria Zibecchi to finish it for the Bucs as they took the set 25-16 to win the match 3-1.
Once again the FSW offense proved too much for an opponent as the Bucs banged home 57 kills on the afternoon and hit .299 as a team in the victory. Koehler led the way with a big 21 kill performance while hitting an even .500 while Alarcon finished with 12 and Lawrenz and Cecilia chipped in 8 each. Purashaj dished out 41 assists for the Bucs in the win while Arianna Rossi patrolled the back line with a match high 23 digs. Cecilia contributed all over the floor on both sides of the net in the win, adding 15 digs and 6 blocks to her 8 kills while Lawrenz was in on 5 blocks of her own and Collier led FSW with 7 rejections.
The Bucs remain unbeaten at a perfect 14-0 overall and 6-0 in Suncoast Conference play with the win while Eastern Florida drops to 12-4 overall and 3-3 in league action.
FSW is scheduled to take the floor next on Thursday when they travel across Alligator Alley to take on rival and 5th ranked Miami Dade to wrap up the first round of conference action.
