WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Hollywood director couldn't have written a better script.

Trailing 2-1 for the third time in the Sun Conference tournament, Florida Memorial University rallied back and captured the match in an emotional fifth set to win – knocking off defending tournament champion College of Coastal Georgia 3-2 (25-23, 14-25, 17-25, 25-18, 15-10) Saturday afternoon to win the 2019 Sun Conference championship at Keiser University's Massimino Court.

When sophomore Rachele Mancinelli's scored the 15th and tournament-winning point for the Lions in the fifth set, the players and coaches rushed the floor in celebration and eventually joined an already-celebrating mob of FMU fans that made the hour-drive to West Palm Beach – including a pair of school-sponsor fans buses – to support the Lions.
 
Florida Memorial fed off the energy of its fans and repaid them by winning its first-ever Sun Conference volleyball championship – which automatically qualifies FMU for the NAIA Volleyball National Championship Tournament, which begins November 23 on campus sites.

Saturday's title game went down a familiar path for the Lions – the tournament's No. 4 seed.

Like it had in the quarterfinals against St. Thomas University and in the semifinals against Keiser, Florida Memorial started the game off with a first-set victory – edging the Mariners 25-22.

But that opening set win was then followed by a pair of losses in the second and third. College of Coastal Georgia, the No. 2 seed that made its way in Saturday's final by sweeping Southeastern University, seemed to have all the momentum through the second and into the third – forcing the Lions into hitting errors and finding holes in the FMU defense.

Facing elimination, Florida Memorial (22-10, 13-5 Sun Conference) jumped out to a 9-5 lead in the fourth set and eventually stretched its lead out to 16-8 and as big as 20-10 before taking set 25-18. The only scare the Lions got in the fourth was when Jesennia Bonilla and Mancinelli collided into one another and both stayed down momentarily. Both were able to leave the court on their own power and Mancinelli was able to stay in the game.

Carried by the momentum of the fourth set, FMU got out in front in the all-important fifth. Junior Daphinie Correa, a second-team All-Sun Conference performer, came up with three big blocks as FMU took a 3-0 lead and extended that to 5-1.

Coastal Georgia showed a bit of resolve, tying the game at six. But freshman Biancaliz Cruz gave the Lions a 7-6 lead on a powerful shot to the back line – a lead that FMU wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way.

Mancinelli accounted for a team-high 19.5 points Saturday – totaling 16 kills and 12 digs. Correa finished with 12 kills and a team-high five blocks; Francheska Rivera added 30 assists and Keisha Santana recorded 34 digs for the Lions.