MELBOURNE, Fla.- The #2 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers returned to the floor for the first time in nine days on Monday, sweeping the #13 Eastern Florida State Titans on the road in Melbourne for their fifth straight victory to improve to 15-1 on the year. 

 

The Bucs came out on fire in the first against the Titans, scoring the first five points of the match, three of which coming on kills from Magi Milicevic to jump out to an early 5-0 lead.  They continued to lead it big midway through the set as Camilla Brandalise hooked up with Abby Toeniskoetter in the middle to make it 15-8 and force the Titans second and final timeout of the set. Eastern made things interesting late, taking advantage of three straight FSW hitting errors to draw back to within three at 22-19 in the waining moments of the set. Brandalise and Toeniskoetter connected again to put the Bucs on the doorstep and Toeniskoetter stepped back to the service line and dialed up an ace to finish it as FSW took the first 25-20 to go ahead 1-0 in the match. 

 

The second had a different story line to it as FSW got off to a slow start with Eastern jumping out to a 7-3 lead to get things going before the Bucs worked their way back into the set midway through to tie it at 10 on back to back kills from Julija Grubisic Cabo. The teams danced back and forth until two more Grubisic Cabo kills gave FSW their first lead of the set at 15-13. Back to back Buc errors allowed Eastern to knot things back up at 16 moments later, but a 4-0 run by FSW gave them some breathing room for the first time in the period at 20-16. The Bucs looked like they were going to run away with the set, leading 24-18, but three straight FSW errors allowed Eastern a glimmer of hope and forced the Bucs to call their second and final timeout of the period. With the set on the line, the Bucs turned to their sophomore combo of Brandalise and Toeniskoetter and they got the job done as Toeniskoetter banged one to the floor to close it out 25-21 to give FSW a commanding 2-0 lead into the intermission. 

 

Neither team could gain any traction early on in the third as the Bucs and Titans played to a 7-7 draw through 14 points. Back to back Eastern Florida errors allowed the Bucs to take the lead and they took advantage, opening up a five point edge at the midway point after a kill from Valentina Zevallos on her first touch of the night. The Titans battled back to cut the FSW lead to three at 19-16, but an ace from Anna Marzella and back to back attack errors by Eastern all but sealed the Titans fate as Toeniskoetter finished off the third just as she did the first and second, with a kill out of the middle to give the Bucs the set 25-18 to complete the 3-0 sweep. 

 

Grubisic Cabo notched her seventh double-double of the year in the win with a team high 12 kills to go along with 10 digs while Toeniskoetter finished with 10 kills and just 1 error on the night, good for a .391 hitting percentage, while also leading the Bucs with 4 blocks in the win. Brandalise finished with a team high 22 assists for FSW while Clara Maidantchik led the Bucs with 12 digs.  

 

FSW wins their fifth straight to improve to 15-1 on the year while pushing their Citrus Conference record to 7-1.  Eastern Florida drops to 13-8 overall and 4-4 in league play in the defeat.  

 

The Bucs continue a busy week on the road Wednesday when they travel to Gainesville to take on Santa Fe with a chance to clinch a first round bye for the upcoming FCSAA State Tournament on the line.