Honolulu, Hawaii – The Panthers were back in action this evening for their second match in the Aloha State Showdown. Florida Tech faced off with GNAC power Central Washington, who are receiving votes in the AVCA D2 Top 25 Poll. After a competitive opening match in their Hawaii opener yesterday, the Panthers were looking to continue building momentum in the early stages of the season.
MATCH TWO – Aloha State Showdown:
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 0, Central Washington Bobcats 3
Set Recap: (22-
25), (22
-25), (15
-25)
Records: Florida Tech (4-2)
| Central Washington (3-2)
Location: McCabe Gym
| Honolulu, Hawaii
STATS OF THE MATCH:
First Set: Florida Tech 22, Central Washington 25
- Just like the Panthers first match in the Aloha State Showdown, Ashley Rants opened the match with a kill.
- Both teams traded points, but a few Tech errors allowed the Bobcats to take an early 6-5 lead.
- Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Bobcats used a 6-0 run to grow their lead to 14-7
- Hadley Waldren and Cordelia Kearns earned kills to put Tech on the board, but Central Washington was in full control of the first set, leading 19-10.
- With the score 21-12, the Panthers made their first big run of the match, scoring six straight points.
- The Panther run continued as kills from Ashley Rants and Devynn Glassgold plus a block from Scarlett Kimbrell helped Tech pull the scoreline to 24-21, but the Bobcats were able to close out the set.
Second Set: Florida Tech Panthers 22, Central Washington 25
- Despite building momentum towards the end of the first set, the Panthers were unable to continue it into the second, with the Bobcats taking an early 7-1 lead.
- However, Tech was able to bounce back again with kills from Cordelia Kearns and a service ace from Kari Voelstad Bogen.
- A well-placed dig from Bogen pulled Tech to within one point, and after a Bobcat attack error, the scoreline was knotted up at 8-8.
- Both teams began trading points and the second set remained tied at 15-15
- It was at this point in the set that the Bobcats pulled away again, using an unanswered run to take a 19-15 lead.
- Tech answered right back with a big run of their own and used kills from Cordelia Kearns and a service ace from Elisa Broggio to tie the set back up at 21-21
- While the comeback effort was valiant, the Panthers were never able to regain the lead, and Central Washington was able to take the second set.
Third Set: Florida Tech Panthers 15, Central Washington 25
- Needing a response after going down 0-2, Isabelle Clark opened the third with a big kill from the middle before earning another one a few plays later
- Hadley Waldren also recorded a kill in the early stages of the match, but a 5-0 run from the Bobcats had the Panthers in another early hole.
- A Bobcat attack error and another kill from Waldren kept the Panthers in striking distance, only trailing 10-5 after the first fifteen points.
- Unfortunately, kills from Devyn Glassgold and Isabelle Clark were not enough for Tech as the Bobcats opened up an 18-10 lead.
- Cordelia Kearns, Kelly Merz and Ayisha Missipo each added kills at the end of the third set, but the Bobcats had pulled away to win the match.
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Florida Tech's record in the state of Hawaii is now 4-3 all-time.
- Tonight's match up was the first meeting between these two programs; the Panthers are now 0-1 all-time against the Bobcats
UP NEXT: The Panthers will close out the Aloha State Showdown tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 4 PM ET / 10 AM HST against #24 Chaminade. The second match of the day will see Tech take on Hawaii Hilo at 9 PM ET / 3 PM HST.
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech Volleyball, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
