DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers dropped their first Suncoast Conference match in nearly three years on Saturday, falling 3-1 to a spirited #17 Daytona State squad on homecoming weekend in Daytona.  

 

FSW played from behind nearly the entire first set as Daytona scored the first three points of the match and kept the Bucs at bay from there on out.  A run midway through the set drew FSW even, but another run from the Falcons had Daytona back in front 19-16. The Bucs got back to within one late at 22-21 on a Daytona hitting error, but couldn't get back to level as the Falcons scored three of the final four points of the period to take it 25-22 and go ahead 1-0 in the match.  

 

The Bucs got out to another slow start in the second as Daytona raced out to a 6-1 lead ahead of an FSW timeout.  Slowly the Bucs crept back into things, pulling back to even at 15-15 and taking a one point lead on a block from Julia Lawrenz and Maria Cecilia.  The Bucs looked like they had momentum on their side and took a three point lead at 21-18 before having two cracks at set point leading 24-22, but a kill and a block by the Falcons evened the score and Daytona finished off two more points to stun the Bucs 26-24 to go up 2-0 in the match.  

 

FSW looked a little bit more like themselves in the third as they finally found some rhythm early on, jumping out to a 6-2 lead with their backs to the wall. Daytona found their footing from there though, cutting the Bucs lead to just one at 11-10 midway through the period.  It remained a one point game at 14-13 moments later when a kill from Cecilia started the Bucs on a 6-0 run to open up their biggest lead of the day at 20-13.  Eventually Kate Roth found Alondra Alarcon for a kill on set point to give FSW the set 25-16 to remain alive in the match.  

 

The Bucs couldn't keep momentum on their side though as Daytona put up a big block against the FSW attack, registering four stuffs in five points early on in the fourth to jump out to an 8-4 advantage.  FSW pulled even midway through the set at 13-13, but it was all Falcons from there as Daytona outscored the Bucs 12-5 to close the set, taking it 25-18 to stun top ranked FSW 3-1.  

 

FSW was on the wrong side of a program record 36 hitting errors in the defeat, 18 of those coming on Daytona State blocks.  The Bucs hit a season low .079 as a team in the loss.  Cecilia led the Bucs with 16 kills while Barbara Koehler added 14 and Alarcon 10.  Roberta Purashaj dished out a match high 43 assists and also had 3 aces for FSW. Cecilia and Lawrenz were each in on 4 blocks for the Purple and Aqua.  

 

The loss is the first Suncoast Conference defeat for FSW in 33 matches dating all the way back to October 10, 2019.  FSW drops their first match of the season, falling to 15-1 overall and 7-1 in conference action while Daytona improves to 9-3 overall and 5-3 in Suncoast Conference play.  

 

FSW will look to bounce back on Thursday when they travel to Indian River for a 5:30 matchup with the Pioneers in Fort Pierce.