ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Flagler College volleyball team returned home Friday night to face Lander University in a Peach Belt Conference matchup at Flagler Gymnasium. The Saints swept the Bearcats 3-0, winning 25-6, 25-15, 25-13.
QUOTES FROM COACH
"We had a number of kids who have been battling the flu and other illnesses this week. So it was extra sweet to see them battle through the adversity and show up tonight in such a prolific way. It's always great to see others stepping up."
Jeff Reynolds stated.
"It was nice to play in front of our home crowd tonight, and to receive the regular-season championship trophy. I'm just so proud of this team." Reynolds added.
"I've gone through the record book and looked all the way back to 2019 and I haven't found a match where Flagler won a set by 19 or more points. That first set was just a great team effort. We were clicking on all cylinders." Reynolds continued.
Flagler vs. Lander
Score: Flagler 3, Lander 0 (25-6, 25-15, 25-13)
Location: St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gymnasium)
Records: Flagler (25-3, PBC 14-0), Lander (7-18, PBC 4-10)
OPENING VOLLEY
- Senior Gracie Fleming recorded nine kills, one solo block and a team high five block assists for 12.5 points while hitting a .389.
- Gia Lowe contributed nine kills, one solo block and three block assists for 11.5 and a .412 hitting percentage.
- Marley Middlebrooks produced eight kills and eight digs, along with one assist and three block assists, for 9.5 points.
- Katherine Rank added five kills while hitting .400 and contributed three block assists.
- Kennedy Allen made her collegiate debut, recording five service attempts in a row and one ace.
- Bella Law and Jilly Young helped lead the Saints' offense at setter. Young recorded a team-high 19 assists and added eight digs and one block assist. Law contributed eight assists, one kill and one solo block.
THE DIFFERENCE
- Flagler set the tone early in the opening set, jumping out to a 5-0 advantage behind kills from Middlebrooks and Fleming, an ace from Allen and a pair of Lander attacking errors. After the Bearcats answered with two consecutive points, the Saints took complete control, scoring 14 of the next 17 points to build a commanding 19-3 lead. Fleming fueled the run with multiple kills, while the Saints' defense forced several Bearcat errors. Flagler maintained its advantage down the stretch, closing out the opening set 25-6 with a kill from Rank.
- Lander found some momentum early in the second set, building a 5-2 lead. However, Flagler responded with three consecutive points to even the score at 5-5 before taking a 8-5 advantage behind kills from Lowe and pair of blocks. The Bearcats battled back to tie the set at 8-8, but the Saints regained control with strong offensive and defensive effort. Flagler extended its lead to 18-10, capitalizing on several Lander attacking errors and getting contributions from Phillips, Fleming and Middlebrooks. Lowe then delivered three consecutive kills to push the advantage to 22-12. The Saints closed out the set 25-15 to take a 2-0 match lead.
- The Saints carried momentum into the third set, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead. Flagler continued to apply pressure at the net, using timely kills from Jolie Trudeau, Lowe and Middlebrooks, along with a pair of blocks from Fleming and Lowe, to build a 6-4 advantage. The Bearcats stayed within reach, but the Saints gradually extended the lead behind contributions from Rank, Middlebrooks and Fleming. Flagler pulled away late, scoring six of the final seven points to close out the set 25-13 and complete the sweep.
NOTABLES
- Flagler improved to 25-3 overall and remains undefeated with a Peach Belt Conference record of 14-0.
- The Saints finished with 36 kills and 52 digs while hitting .256. Flagler also limited Lander to 15 kills and a -.146 hitting percentage.
- Flagler's led in several statistical categories, including total points (49-21), assists (32-15), blocks (11-4) and block assists (16-8).
- Flagler has won 10 of its 14 conference matches by a score of 3-0 and 15 of the 25 matches in three-straight sets.
COMING UP
The Saints will close out the regular season by hosting Lander University tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 7, for another Peach Belt Conference matchup. Flagler will also celebrate its four seniors prior to the match. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Flagler Gymnasium.
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