Box Score

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (8-16, 3-10 SSC) forced a fifth set for the second time against the Moccasins but fell Friday night in the Arena at the Don Taft University Center. Despite the loss to Florida Southern (19-7, 9-4 SSC), sophomore Rachel Woodson (Rogers, Ark.) had a career night recording 23 kills.

Rookie Samantha High (Fr., Naples, Fla.) also notched a career high in kills, as she reached double-digit kills with 10 for the first time in her young career. Sophomore Jordan Pappas dished 57 assists, nabbing a new career high in conference play. Junior Anabely Escarpita (Boca Raton, Fla.) was the lone Shark player with a double-double adding 11 kills and 18 digs respectively. The 18 scoops for Escarpita is a new career high for the outside hitter.

Senior libero Kathleen Yony (Miami, Fla.) hustled down 23 balls in the match, now just shy 11 of NSU all-time career dig record of 1,698.

In the back-and-forth battle, the Sharks recorded 63 kills and 89 digs, the second best all season by the team.

Florida Southern took an early 1-0 lead as the Moccasins won by four in a 25-21 victory in the first set. FSC went on a 4-0 run and took a 17-12 lead before head coach Steve Wilcosky called a timeout. The Sharks fought back coming out of the break scoring four points of their own and cutting the Mocs lead 18-16. NSU failed to retake the lead in the first set.

Down 1-0, junior Paola Ruiz (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) served an ace to even the score at 2-2. Tied for seventh time in the set at 9-9, the Sharks scored six of the next nine points before Florida Southern called a timeout. The momentum still favored NSU as they took a seven point lead at 20-13 and the Mocs used their second timeout. At 23-18, Woodson slammed a ball right between the block out of the reach of any defender. Junior Molly Sigerich (Downers Grove, Ill.) closed out the set with a kill and evened the match 1-1.

The Sharks fell in the third set, 25-21, to go down 2-1. Even though NSU hit over .200 in the third frame, FSC was better with a .333 attack percentage.

In one of the most exciting sets of the year, the Sharks truly showed heart to force a fifth frame. High downed a ball from Pappas right down the line off a slide to take the 12-10 lead. Yony's float serve was too much to handle for Florida Southern defender Anne Pietkiewicz and put NSU up 17-14. Though the Sharks had a 24-22 lead, the Mocs battled back and even the score with back-to-back kills. Woodson put NSU back up and at match point but once again FSC was relentless. After a kill by Woodson to give the Sharks set point at 26-25, Escarpita slammed down a ball to send the match into a fifth set.

NSU was held to a -.095 attack percentage, committing seven errors to the final frame to fall to Florida Southern for the second time this year in five sets.

The Sharks will host Rollins College tomorrow, Nov. 6th at 4 p.m. in the Arena at the Don Taft University Center.