Posted: Sep 13, 2023
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers and their fans were amped up for their first home conference game in Suncoast Credit Union Arena in 356 days on Wednesday against #18 Daytona State, but ole sparky had different ideas as a power outage during warmups forced a change of venue as the Bucs and Falcons moved across the street to The Canterbury School for the Citrus Conference action. The change in script didn't slow down the red hot Bucs though, as FSW dominated the first set to jump out in front and never looked back in a 3-0 sweep to remain perfect at 13-0 on the season.
It was all FSW early on in the Cougar Den as the Bucs scored seven of the first eight points of the match to get out to a 7-1 lead before stretching their advantage to 13-2 midway through the first on a kill from Nine Boledovicova. A rash of Buccaneer errors allowed the Falcons to creep back into the set, but Camila Brandalise found Giulia Bonifacio to push the Bucs to set point and then again three points later for set point to give FSW the first 25-19 to go ahead 1-0 in the match.
The Bucs didn't get off to quite the same start in the second as they fell behind 5-4 to begin the set as Daytona dug their heels in trailing in the match 1-0. A big block from Boledovicova and Alondra Alarcon leveled the score and send Anica Bobic to the service line where she rolled off eight straight points including three aces to put FSW in front 13-5. Daytona got back to within four later in the set, but FSW finished with a flurry as Boledovicova and Roberta Purashaj combined on back to back blocks to make it 23-13 before Purashaj found Bobic twice for big kills to close it out as the Bucs took the set 25-13 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match. FSW hit .381 in the set and notched six blocks, including five from Boledovicova while holding Daytona to -.217 with just four kills and nine errors in the period.
FSW put a touchdown on the board in the third before the Falcons knew what hit them as Clara Maidantchik dialed up three aces in a six point run at the service line to put the Bucs up quickly 7-0. Daytona made a run of their own to cut it to a four point game, but another push by the Bucs had them back up by seven at 17-10 on a Bobic putaway on an overpass. The Falcons wouldn't go away, scoring the next four to make it a 17-14 game, but FSW answered with the final eight points of the set to take it 25-14 and finish off the 3-0 sweep.
Bobic led the Bucs with 11 kills while Alarcon added 10 and Victoria Zibecchi 9 more. Purashaj dished out 31 assists while her hitters hit .525 off of her All-American hands. FSW had 10 aces in the win including 3 each from Bobic and Maidantchik who also led the Bucs with 17 digs. Boledovicova anchored the net play for FSW, finishing with a career high 7 blocks.
FSW remains unbeaten on the season with the win, improving to 13-0 overall and 2-0 in Citrus Conference action while Daytona drops to 10-5 overall and 1-2 in league play.
The Bucs will have little time to celebrate their seventh win over a ranked opponent this season as they are right back at it on Saturday at home in Suncoast Arena when they host #17 Polk State in a matinee start with first serve scheduled for 2 PM.
