MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | The FMU Lions won their third-straight conference match with a three-set sweep over the College of Coastal Georgia (25-21, 25-9, 25-23) at the FMU Wellness Center.
"My girls have been putting in work to keep this winning momentum going in the Lion's Den," said head coach
Jazmine Washington. "Today was all about handling business. We played hard from the beginning and controlled the tempo," Washington explained.
Outside hitter Carolina Souza finished the match with a team-high 12 kills as the Lions took control of set one. Teammates
Olivia Dodd and
Rafaela Nogueira finished with a total of eight and seven kills respectively as FMU dismantled the Mariners 25-9 in set two. Souza continued her hot streak as she added an additional four aces in the victory. The Lions capitalized on easy points as the team produced 11 total aces while allowing just three for their counterpart.
Setter
Ludmilla Souza was instrumental to the success of Florida Memorial, generating a team-high 18 assists while fellow setter
Agustina Busque chipped in with 11 assists for the Lions.
Coastal Georgia trailed 18-12 in the third set before going on an 11-3 run, putting pressure on FMU as they looked to force a fourth set. With a heavy heart, Coach Washington calmly called a timeout as her team trailed 23-21. Subsequently, Florida Memorial scored four straight points en route to a 25-23 victory. Washington learned about the passing of her grandfather just hours before first serve.
"In the last set, I decided to let some of my younger players step into the starters' shoes and finish the game," said Coach Washington. "I think it's important to give players that experience, especially if they're putting in the hard work and willing to be coachable for growth."
When asked about her grandfather, coach mustered up the courage and explained the importance of his influence on her life.
"My grandfather means so much to me," explained Washington. "He is part of the reason I got involved in sports and coaching. I wanted to make him proud and give us things to bond over. He was my motivation to keep pushing to be the best in this career path that I chose. Joe Washington, Sr. will be missed and I will continue to make him proud."
As a team, FMU produced 41 kills compared to 30 for Coastal Georgia. Defensively, the Lions were able to pick up the Mariners' attacks, producing 45 digs overall while Coastal Georgia finished with 32.
The Lions continue conference play as they host Warner on Wednesday, October 19 in Sun Conference competition. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the FMU Wellness Center.
