FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers dialed up 47 kills and kept the Indian River State Pioneers off balance with 11 aces in a 3-0 Citrus Conference sweep on the road in Fort Pierce Wednesday night to remain unbeaten at 19-0 on the year.  

 

The Bucs won the first set early in the period as Roberta Purashaj rolled off 11 points in a row at the service line including six aces during the run to give FSW a quick 12-2 lead on the Pioneers. The teams played even from there, but it wasn't enough for the Pioneers as Izzy Collier picked up back to back kills sandwiched around a timeout to put the Bucs on the doorstep and Sara Gasparini and Nina Boledovicova combined on a big block to put the first in the books as FSW took it 25-15 to take a 1-0 lead in the match. 

 

The second was even through the first 16 points as the teams found themselves tied at 8 before a 4-0 FSW run pushed them in front at the midway point of the set. The Bucs looked like they were in business as they held the four point advantage to the later portions of the set at 20-16, but a 5-0 Indian River run put the Pioneers in front for the first time in the contest  and an FSW attack error had the home team ready to level the match as they led it 23-21. Purashaj connected with Collier in the middle to get FSW back on track and then the Bucs setter dialed up another ace to even the set at 23.  A Pioneer timeout couldn't break the Bucs momentum as Collier picked up another kill and finally Alondra Alarcon put it away as FSW scored the final four points of the second to win it 25-23 and take a 2-0 lead at the intermission. 

 

The Bucs came at the Pioneers from all directions early in the third as they got kills from four different players on four consecutive points to get out to a 12-5 lead in the set. A kill from Camila Brandalise followed by an ace from the freshman pushed the Bucs lead to nine, but Indian River came roaring back, trimming FSW's lead to just four at 21-17 late in the set.  Brandalise found Alarcon on the outside out of a timeout to get the Bucs one point closer to the sweep before Victoria Zibecchi put it to bed with back to back kills to close out the match and give FSW the set 25-20 and the match 3-0. 

 

FSW finished with 47 kills as a team in the win with a number of players putting together big final stat lines. Alarcon led the way with 15 kills and a .500 hitting percentage while also picking up 12 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.  Zibecchi finished with 10 kills on the right side while Collier put together the Volleyball equivalent of an immaculate contest with 9 kills on 9 swings in the win.  Purashaj finished with a match high 25 assists while Brandalise had 15 in her lone set played. Purashaj was also electric at the service line, dialing up 7 aces which sets a new FSW three set single game record. 

 

The Bucs remain unbeaten at 19-0 with the win while pushing their Citrus Conference record to 8-0. Indian River falls to 7-9 overall and 1-7 in league play. 

 

The Bucs are back in action on the road Saturday when they make the trip to Daytona Beach to take on the 17^th ranked Daytona State Falcons in a 2 PM first serve.