MELBOURNE, Fla. (Volleyball) - It was a tough night for Florida Tech (4-6, SSC 2-5), as it dropped in straight-sets (25-23, 25-8, 25-18) to Florida Southern (8-6, SSC 5-1) on Friday night at Melbourne Central Catholic Gymnasium. 

During the evening outing, senior middle blocker Olivia Hersey tallied 10 kills and a team-high .375 clip for the Panthers. Behind Herseys offensive performance, freshman outside hitter Brianna Garza notched six kills, followed by Audrey Keenan with five. Sophomore setter Sheila Villagrasa dished 11 assists and grabbed six digs, while sophomore defensive specialist Kyra Atkinson had a match-best 21 digs.

In the first set, FIT struggled to get their offense going, hitting just a .122 to start the match. However, the Panthers were able to keep the match in close quarters, as the teams tied seven times throughout. The Crimson and Gray eventually dropped the first set, 25-23.

Entering the second, FSC jumped to an early lead that put FIT behind by six. The 6-0 run was enough to keep Florida Southern out of reach, as the Mocs walked away, 25-8.

Trying to make the comeback in Set 3, the Panthers kept the score close to open the third. The two teams exchanged points but the Mocs went ahead 10-7. Florida Tech chipped away at the lead to pull within seven, but eventually fell to the Lakeland team, 25-18.

The Panthers will return to the hardwood tomorrow, when they welcome SSC rival Tampa Spartans at 4 p.m. ET.

For more info, fans can access FloridaTechSports.com!