MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – In sports, a "statement win" is usually one that a team earns where it put forth an impressive performance typically against a very difficult opponent.
 
Florida Memorial University made a huge statement Saturday, sweeping previously unbeaten College of Coastal Georgia 3-0 (29-27, 26-24, 25-22) to win its second-straight conference game and remain undefeated at home this season.
 
The Lions (3-3, 2-0 The Sun Conference), who defeated Sun Conference preseason No. 1 team Keiser University this past Thursday, also snapped a three-game home losing streak to the visiting Mariners with the victory Saturday.
 
FMU, which will travel to play Warner University this coming Wednesday (Sept. 22), was once again led by standout performances from Biancaliz Cruz and Kimberlie Correa. Just as in Thursday's game, Cruz led the Lions in total kills with 12 Saturday. Just as the 6-foot-2 Correa was a stymying defensive force at the net against the Seahawks, she was the same deterrent against Coastal Georgia – totaling a team-high 6 blocks.
 
Florida Memorial's victory Saturday was certainly a hard-earned one. The first two sets both extended into extra points and the third – which was by far the most comfortable win for FMU in the match – was settled by a three-point final margin.
 
Surprisingly, it was the first set that seemed to turn the tide in the Lions' favor. After rallying back from a 14-9 deficit to tie the set at 17, Florida Memorial and Coastal Georgia (13-1, 0-1) became deadlocked in a back-and-forth run that featured nine ties and 10 lead changes. Tied at 27, FMU took the advantage thanks to a Mariners service error and got the game-clinching 29th point on an attack error by CCGA.
 
That win put Coastal Georgia in an unfamiliar position, being down in a match – something the Mariners essentially had not done up to that point in the year.
 
The Lions' momentum and CCGA's being in the uncomfortable spot of having to play from behind for the first time helped FMU jump out to a 11-4 lead in the second set. To their credit, the Mariners rallied and even took 15-14, 22-21, and 24-23 leads on Florida Memorial in the set. FMU dealt the Mariners another blow to their confidence though, scoring the final three points of the set – on an attack error followed by a Cruz kill and service ace – to earn a 26-24 win and a 2-0 match lead.
 
Florida Memorial graduate senior Sammyra Albarran, who's been dealing with upper and lower extremity injuries, played through it and finished with 11 kills and 9 digs. Keisha Santana Roldan led the team with 20 digs, Agustina Busque and Alanis Santana each had 12 assists, to go along with 8 and 9 digs respectively.
 
The third set saw Coastal Georgia jump out to a 5-1 lead before the Lions would ultimately go on an elongated 18-7 run to take a 19-12 lead. The Mariners made late push – cutting FMU's lead to 22-21 – before Florida Memorial benefitted from a pair of CCGA attack errors and secured the game-winning point on a Cruz kill.