Posted: Sep 09, 2023
TAMPA, Fla.- Alondra Alarcon and Roberta Purashaj posted huge double-doubles as the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers swept the #15 Monroe Mustangs 3-0 in Tampa Saturday afternoon giving FSW Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen her 100th win in her 4 ½ seasons since starting the Bucs program.
The Bucs found themselves in their most competitive set battle of the season in the first against the Mustangs as the two battled back and forth early on to an 11-11 deadlock midway through the set. It continued to go back and fourth through the next eight points until a kill from Alondra Alarcon and an ace from Anica Bobic gave FSW a two point cushion at 17-15. The Mustangs kept fighting, tying the score back up at 20 moments later after an FSW service error and a kill from the right pin. Victoria Zibecchi put the Bucs back in front with a kill and Nina Boledovicova went offspeed on a slide to close it out as FSW escaped by the skin of their teeth 25-23 in the first to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The Bucs finished the set with 19 kills as a team including 9 from Alarcon and 8 from Zibecchi in the big offensive start.
Monroe was once again the aggressors early in the second as they jumped out to a 5-2 lead, but a big block by Boledovicova got FSW on track and they went on an 11-2 run over the next 13 points to flip the script and take a 13-7 lead midway through the period. The Bucs continued to push, getting back to back stuffs from Izzy Collier and Zibecchi on one pin and then Collier and Alarcon on the other pin on the next play to put FSW up 20-9. Giulia Bonifacio came in off the Bucs bench to give them another spark late with a pair of kills and then combined with Boledovicova for a block on set point to give FSW the set 25-10 to go ahead 2-0 in the match.
With momentum on their side, the Bucs jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the third and never looked back. Two straight backrow bombs from Alarcon stretched the Bucs lead to 15-8 and her 20th kill of the afternoon made it 21-9 FSW. Collier pounded one to the ground to give the Bucs a bucket full of match points and two points later a Mustang serve into the net finished things off as FSW took the third 25-11 to sweep the match 3-0.
Alarcon led the Bucs 21 kills and 13 digs while Roberta Purashaj notched a double-double of her own with 41 assists and 10 digs. Bonifacio chipped in 5 kills and 3 blocks off the bench while Collier led the defense with 6 blocks and Clara Maidantchik paced the back line with 18 digs.
The win was number 100 at FSW for Bucs Head Coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen who needed just 4 ½ seasons and 123 games to reach the mark.
FSW closes the weekend at 12-0 making them the final undefeated in the NJCAA Division I ranks. Monroe falls to 7-7 with the loss.
The Bucs now turn their focus to Citrus Conference action where they have a pair of big matchups at home in Suncoast Credit Union Arena this week. Wednesday they host #17 Daytona State in a 6:30 PM first serve before welcoming red hot Polk State to Fort Myers for a matinee contest on Saturday afternoon.