MELBOURNE, Fla. (Volleyball) – Florida Tech’s five-game homestand is off to a good start as it brushed aside St. Thomas in straight sets (26-21, 25-21, 25-13) Wednesday night at the Clemente Center. The Panthers improve to 10-5 with the win, while the Bobcats drop to 7-4.

Janice Valies hammered down 10-plus kills for the second straight match. She finished with a game-high 13 kills and a .550 hitting percentage. Alexis Mastela tossed up 33 assists. Angie Lassman notched 18 digs, which tied for the most digs among all players.

FIT ruled the net, recording 16 block assists. Mastela had a game-high five block assists. Kaitlin Brennan had four and Alea Hamm swatted away three potential kills.

The opening set proved to be the most competitive as it included 11 ties and five lead changes. FIT pulled out the 26-24 win following a kill by Brennan and a Bobcat attack error.

Playing with the benefit of a one-game lead, the Panthers quickly held a 6-1 advantage in the second set. St. Thomas was able to trim its deficit down to two points late, but Hamm and Mastela’s block assist along with another Bobcat error sealed the win for the Panthers.

In the third set, St. Thomas’ early 1-0 lead changed hands quickly on a kill by Valies, which was followed by a St. Thomas miscue. From that point, FIT cruised to the 12-point win.

The Panthers will host their Third Annual Dig Pink® game Friday when they take on Saint Leo at 7 p.m. at the Clemente Center. Fans are encouraged to join FIT by wearing pink. Dig Pink® t-shirts will be available for donation and a silent auction will be conducted with proceeds benefiting The Side-Out Foundation.

Fans unable to attend Friday’s match can watch the live broadcast and follow the live stats at FloridaTechSports.com/live.