HOOVER, Ala. (Volleyball) - On Saturday afternoon, Florida Tech (7-7) shined at the Finley Center, as the Panthers capitalized the South Regional Crossover with a sweep. After defeating the University of West Georgia in overwhelming fashion 3-0, FIT made an outstanding comeback against Union University, taking the match 3-2.
In the double-match outing, the Panthers racked up a total of 108 kills, 105 assists and 136 digs. Offensively, Florida Tech hit .216 overall, while counting eight blocks in two games.
Junior middle blocker Olivia Hersey led the Panthers offense, tallying 30 kills for a cumulative .288 clip. The Orlando product recorded a match-best in both games, with a match-high 14 kills against UWF, and a match-high 16 kills against Union.
Freshman outside hitter Audrey Keenan also pitched in with 19 kills on a .349 hitting percentage, while senior middle blocker Samantha Reeves dished 13 kills and a team-high .497 clip. Freshman outside hitter Brianna Garza turned in 16 kills for a cumulative .125 hitting percentage, with 14 of them coming in at a season high against Union.
Junior setter Kiersten Rosa controlled the offense with 80 assists, gathering a match-best in both games. The Mims-native also tallied 26 digs, earning a double-double for each match to bump her seasonal record to five.
Sophomore defensive specialist Kyra Atkinson mastered the Panthers defense, racking up 37 digs to pick up a team-best and match-best 24 digs against the Bulldogs.
In the first match of the day, Florida Tech set the tone early, tallying 16 kills on .209 hitting in the opening set. Throughout the match, the Crimson and Gray tied the score solely 11 times and notched 48 kills for a .239 clip.
Moving into the second match-up of the day, FIT had a rough start. The Bulldogs challenged the Panthers in the first, pulling ahead, 6-0. Union never lost the lead, and eventually took the first set, 25-10.
After dropping to the Bulldogs in the second set 25-19, Florida Tech roared back following the intermission. After a couple of ties, the Panthers used a 12-9 run to clinch the third stanza and spark a come-back-win to force a fourth set.
In the fourth, the Panthers sparked up their fight. Putting pressure of its own, FIT opened up the frame with a 6-0 run, forcing Union to call timeout. As the Bulldogs closed the gap 11-4, Florida Tech clawed a 6-run streak and never lost the lead to fasten the set, 25-11.
With the score balanced at two sets apiece, the teams entered the fifth set. In a head-to-head fight, four kills from Hersey and three from Reeves led FIT to top the final set, 15-12.
The Panthers return home next week, hosting the Eckerd Tritons on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET.
For live coverage of the event, fans can access FloridaTechSports.com!
