MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | The FMU Lions won their second-straight conference match, this time in four sets over Keiser (14-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23) at the FMU Wellness Center. The Lions entered the match in fourth place while Keiser sat in third place in the Sun Conference.
"I'm proud of my girls," said head coach
Jazmine Washington. "They really took control of the tempo and ran with the momentum after the first set. Injuries are going to happen in any sport; it just comes down to who is going to step up and be the game changer."
Keiser (23-6, 4-3) took the lead in the first set behind Brooklyn Slater, who led the Seahawks with 12 total kills. However, the Lions responded in set two and held on for the narrow 25-22 win behind
Caroline Souza's game-high 16 total kills. Souza currently leads the entire Sun Conference in kills per set with over 4.33.
In the third set, FMU cruised to a four-point victory behind Souza's heavy hand and teammate
Rafaela Nogueira who produced 10 kills for the Lions. Setter
Agustina Busque generated a game-high 24 assists while fellow Lion
Ludmilla Souza chipped in with six.
Set four proved to be an instant classic as both teams battled back and forth. At one point C. Souza rallied her team with multiple aces as she finished with four on the night. Although Keiser had 10 more total kills as a team (52-42) it was the aces that gave the Lions all the momentum they needed, producing eight compared to just three for Keiser. Busque added two aces while L. Souza produced one in the victory, as FMU held on for the 25-23 win to improve to 8-5 overall and 4-4 in conference competition.
"I tell my girls constantly that I need that dog energy," explained Washington. "I need them to keep the energy up and take control of the game. Volleyball is a game of mistakes."
On the defensive end,
Shainell Taylor and
Maria Rodriguez both produced a team-high five blocks apiece while C. Souza added three. What also helped FMU tremendously was the ability to pick up Keiser's attacks, as Taylor, C. Souza and
Mar Danes finished with 13, 11, and 11 digs respectively.
"If we can focus on controlling our side of the court, staying consistent, and confident, we can beat anyone," said Washington.
The Lions continue conference play as they host Coastal Georgia on Sunday, October 16 in conference action. First serve is set for 12 p.m. at the FMU Wellness Center.
