Box Score

Lakeland, Fla. – Despite being down 2-0 and fighting back to force a fifth set, the Nova Southeastern University volleyball (5-9 overall, 2-4 SSC) dropped the final set to fall to the Florida Southern Mocs, 3-2, in the Jenkins Field House Saturday afternoon.

“We started to figure out this great Florida Southern team and their tendencies and tonight our team, opposed to last night, did a great job executed the game plan that we put together for them,” said Wilcosky. “It was nice to see that and see our team compete day in and day out and I hope to see our team continue to build on that.”

The Mocs (11-4 overall, 4-2 SSC) edged the Sharks in hitting percentage, .249 to .206.

Sophomore Rachel Woodson (Rogers, Ark.) recorded 18 kills in the five set battle, setting a new career high. With 51 assist, Jordan Pappas (So., Naperville, Ill.) set a new personal best in SSC matches. Libero Kathleen Yony (Sr., Miami, Fla.) added 30 digs, recording over 30 for the third time this year.

“She is one of those special athletes and she works her butt off,” said Wilcosky. “That is a reason why we recruited her at Nova. We saw that potential in her and sometimes the athletes start to see it, the results begin to show. She is definitely finding a confidence in herself.”

The Sharks came out strong in the first set scoring the first two points of the match. After taking a timeout trailing 10-7, the NSU evened the score. Junior Molly Sigerich (Downers Grove, Ill.) came out with a kill followed with an ace. Woodson would find the open court to put the 10th point on the board for the Sharks.

The Mocs fought back in the opening hitting .432 with 18 kills and winning, 25-16. Woodson was impressive getting a set high seven kills hitting at .778.

A big block by Pappas and Sigerich even the second set at 7-7. Sigerich followed with a shot down the line on the slide to retake the lead.

Down 14-9, senior Paola Ruiz (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) found the opening against the triple block to cut the Mocs lead to four. With three straight Shark points, Florida Southern's lead was cut to one.

Once again NSU cut the Mocs lead to one at 19-18, forcing Florida Southern's head coach to call a timeout.

At set point for the Mocs, Ruiz kept the set alive for the Sharks with a kill. Woodsons' solo block made it 24-22. A Florida Southern kill of the Sharks' block gave the Mocs a 2-0 lead.

Down 2-0, NSU played knowing its fate was on the line. Leading a majority of the time, the Sharks used that advantage and took the third set, 27-25, to force a fourth set.

Nova outhit the Sharks, .244 to .186 and was led by Sigerich with six kills hitting .357.

Only leading by one, Sigerich muster together back-to-back kills to give the Sharks a 23-20 lead. The Mocs only scored another point as Nova continued the match with a 25-21 win.

Hitting .400 in the set with only two attack errors, Nova took the fourth to even the match up 2-2.

A kill by Samantha High (Fr., Naples, Fla.) in the fourth, evened it up at five. Ruiz followed with a kill down the line to give the Sharks its first lead of the set. Pappas and Sigerich then blocked a Mocs attack to extend their lead 7-5, having Florida Southern to call its first timeout of the set.

The Mocs fought back to tie it up at 11-11, but Woodson would get her 14th kill to give the Sharks back the lead.

Woodson would break her career high in kills with 15 to extend Nova's lead 15-13. Two straight attack errors by the Mocs gave the Sharks its biggest lead of the frame, 17-13.

Perfect when being 2-0 on the year, the Sharks started the fifth set in that fashion scoring the first two points. The Mocs looked to break that streak scoring the next two points. Woodson kill ruin their run with a tip out of the reach of a Florida Southern defender.

The Sharks reached eight points first before each team switched sides as Nova lead 8-5. Ruiz recorded a kill from the back row forcing the Mocs to call a timeout.

Florida Southern climbed back to cut Nova's lead to 10-9, as Wilcosky called his first timeout to break the Mocs momentum.

With the score squared up at 11-11, Woodson stuffed a Mocs attack to retake the lead, 12-11. Florida Southern rallied for two straight points to take the 13-12 lead.

With Mocs at match point, Ruiz hit a shot in the corner to cut the lead 14-13, but a kill by Florida Southern gave the match to the Mocs, 3-2, giving the Sharks its first loss when going to five.

Nova will continue its conference play on the road battling it with Barry University on Tuesday in Miami Shores, Fla. at 7 p.m.

“I think being on the road creates mental toughness,” said Wilcosky on playing their fifth straight road match. “Barry is a different team, a little more methodical. We have to key in on their outside and right side hitters. I think our goal going in is to continue to do a great job from a serving standpoint and dictate where Barry is going to set that ball and hopefully we can defend it.”