Posted: Oct 23, 2024
FORT MYERS, Fla.- In front of a raucous home crowd in Suncoast Credit Union Arena, the #2 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers avenged their only loss of the 2024 season Wednesday night with a 3-0 sweep of #1 and previously unbeaten Miami Dade to take control of their own destiny in the race for a fifth straight Conference Championship.
The Bucs came out a little bit slow to start the first as Miami Dade was able to jump out to an early 9-5 lead in the rematch of each of the past two NJCAA National Championship Games. The Bucs hung around though, slowly closing the gap until a big block from Nina Boledovicova and Patrycja Labucka drew them even at 13 and an ace from Irina Makinen put them in front for the first time in the contest. With FSW still up one later in the set, Camilla Brandalise found Giovanna Rocha on the right side for a kill to double the lead and it started a 4-0 run for the Bucs to get them to set point before a Shark service error sealed their fate as FSW finished off the comeback with a 25-20 win to go ahead 1-0 in the match. The Bucs offense was unstoppable in the first with six different players recording kills while hitting .440 as a team with 15 kills on 25 swings.
The Bucs carried their momentum right into the second set as they got out to an 8-1 start behind a strong stand at the service line from Abby Toeniskoetter. The Bucs continued to push, getting a block from Boledovicova and Julija Grubisic Cabo and then a crosscourt rocket from Grubisic Cabo for a kill to open up a 12-3 lead midway through the set. It remained a nine point lead for FSW later on at 18-9, but just when it looked like the Purple and Aqua was going to run away with it, here came the Sharks. Miami Dade went on a 9-3 burst to trim the Bucs lead to just three at 21-18. A kill from Magi Milicevic got the Bucs the ball back and they finished things off on a stuff block from Toeniskoetter and Rocha to take the set 25-19 to go ahead 2-0 into the intermission.
With a huge FSW crowd buzzing through the break, the Bucs came out and gave them more to cheer about to start the third as three straight kills from Toeniskoetter got them out to an early 3-1 lead before four more straight from the Purple and Aqua upped their advantage to 7-1. The Bucs didn't relent, cushioning their lead to 11-3 on an out of system kill from Patrycja Labucka. Miami Dade wasn't ready to go home just yet though as the Sharks rolled off five straight points to cut the Bucs lead to 11-8, but FSW answered with four straight of their own to push the lead back to seven at 15-8. A pair of aces from Anna Marzella pushed the Bucs lead to double digits at 19-9 and moments later, a rocket from Boledovicova out of the middle gave the Bucs 10 cracks at match point, leading 24-14. An FSW service error gave the Sharks the ball back and they wouldn't give it up for a while as Miami Dade rolled off eight straight points to make things interesting as they cut the Bucs lead all the way to 24-22. Reeling, the Bucs went to their two sophomore leaders as FCSAA Setter of the Week Camilla Brandalise found FCSAA Player of the Week Julija Grubisic Cabo on the outside for an emphatic finish as FSW sealed up a 25-22 win to send the big crowd into a tizzy with the sweep.
It was the Bucs defense that won this one for them as they finished with eight blocks as a team and held Miami Dade, one of the Nation's top offenses, to a season low .152 hitting percentage. It was a balanced offensive attack for FSW who had four different players record six or more kills. Grubisic Cabo led the way with 11 kills while Toeniskoetter and Boledovicova combined for 15 kills in the middle for the Bucs while each finding their way in on 4 blocks to lead the way at the net. Brandalise dished out a match high 19 assists while Makinen added 15. Milicevic had a career high 9 digs to lead the way for FSW while also dialing up the first 3 ace game of her Buccaneer career.
The Bucs win their eighth straight game to improve to 18-1 overall and 10-1 in Citrus Conference play where they take over first place in the league standings with just one game left to go. Miami Dade has their hopes for a perfect season dashed by the Bucs as they drop their first of the year to fall to 18-1 overall while also suffering their first conference setback at 9-1.
FSW now has a chance to clinch their fifth straight Conference Championship on Saturday when they play their regular season finale at home at Suncoast Arena, taking on Polk State in a 2:10 PM start in Fort Myers. Saturday will serve as the Bucs Sophomore Day with eight FSW sophs playing their final regular season games in the Purple and Aqua. A ceremony honoring them will begin at 2 PM with the Bucs contest with the Eagles following afterwards.
