Postseason Implications Abound As Lions WVB Travel To St. Thomas Wednesday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions (9-7, 8-4) at (RV) St. Thomas University Bobcats (19-6, 10-2)
When: Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Where: St. Thomas, Miami Gardens, Fla. | Fernandez Family Center
First Serve: 7 p.m.
Last Meeting: Oct. 3, 2021, Loss 0-3 (24-26, 19-25, 20-25)
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: Link

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University still has a bit of control over its seeding destiny in the upcoming conference postseason tournament as the regular season wanes, and the Lions' quest for a top-two finish and first-round bye begins Wednesday with an important showdown with rival St. Thomas University at STU's Fernandez Family Center at 7 p.m.

Wednesday's match, which will be the second meeting between the programs this season, will weigh heavily in the standings and carries major implications for both teams.

For Florida Memorial, which currently sits in the No. 3 spot after its upset-loss to Webber International University this past Wednesday, winning Wednesday keeps its hopes alive of potentially climbing back in the top two. The Lions sit two full games behind No. 1 seed St. Thomas and one full game back of No. 2 seed Ave Maria University with two games left to play. Fortuitously, FMU's final regular season matches are against St. Thomas (Wednesday) and Ave Maria (at home Friday).

To climb into the two seed, FMU would need to win Wednesday at STU and would need Ave Maria to lose to Keiser University Wednesday, then the Lions would need to be beat the Gyrenes this Friday.

However, if Ave Maria wins against Keiser Wednesday, no matter what Florida Memorial's result against St. Thomas is, the Gyrenes would likely hold on to the No. 2 spot – even if FMU knocked off AMU Friday – because they'd still hold multiple tiebreakers over the Lions.

Also, if St. Thomas topples Florida Memorial Wednesday, the Bobcats would clinch The Sun Conference regular season championship (best regular season conference record) and would put the Lions firmly in the No. 3 spot.

As loaded as the final two regular season matches are, FMU has at least clinched a spot in the TSC postseason tournament and will have the chance to make another storied run to a conference title like it did in 2019, when it entered the tournament as the fifth seed.

FMU (9-7, 8-4 The Sun Conference) will be entering Wednesday's – and likely the rest of this season – match without junior outside hitter Azmabeth Infante. Infante left last week's match against Webber International with a lower extremity injury and won't be available moving forward.

Infante's in-game exit only further hampered an already shorthanded Lions roster that saw senior libero Keisha Santana Roldan become a game-time scratch with a lower extremity injury. Roldan status for Wednesday is questionable while outside hitters Sammyra Albarran (lower extremity) and Taira Cottingham (lower extremity) are both probable.

St. Thomas enters winners of its past six matches, including a sweep of Webber International on Oct. 29. Also, the Bobcats have been a tough team to beat at home this year, notching an 8-2 record with five of those victories coming via 3-0 sweeps.

If Roldan is available to play and is healthy enough to compete at the level that earned her back-to-back TSC Defender of the Week honors just two weeks ago, it should help anchor and balance the Lions' defense. FMU head coach Marrita Crockett-Moulton will also need stalwart Biancaliz Cruz to have one of her best games of the season to propel Florida Memorial against STU Wednesday.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Biancaliz Cruz: OH; 5' 10"; Junior

#24 Azmabeth Infante: RS/OH/MB; 6' 0"; Junior

#17 Sammyra Albarran: RS/OH; 5' 8"; Graduate Student

#2 Keisha Santana Roldan: LIB/DS; 5' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#7 Biancaliz Cruz
: 5' 10"; Junior
: OH

#24 Azmabeth Infante
: 6' 0"; Junior
: RS/OH/MB

#17 Sammyra Albarran
: 5' 8"; Graduate Student
: RS/OH

#2 Keisha Santana Roldan
: 5' 0"; Senior
: LIB/DS

Florida Memorial University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned