Melbourne, Florida – Florida Tech Volleyball opened up Sunshine State Conference play this evening against Eckerd College. This match was not only the home opener for the Panthers but also served as the first Aloha Friday of the season.
MATCH ONE – SSC PLAY
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 2, Eckerd Tritons 3
Set Recap: (19
-25), (
25-20), (21-
25), (
25-20), (10-
15)
Records: Florida Tech (5-4, 0-1 SSC)
| Eckerd (11-1, 1-0 SSC)
Location: Clemente Center
| Melbourne, Florida
MATCH NOTES:
First Set: Florida Tech 19, Eckerd Tritons 25
- The first two points of the match went to Eckerd before Ashley Rants got the Panthers on the board.
- Both teams began exchanging points until Eckerd pulled away for the first time in the set with a 10-6 lead.
- Tech did not allow the Triton run to continue, using a big run to pull within one point at 13-12.
- After each traded blows, Cordelia Kearns earned back-to-back kills to tie the set up at 18.
- Despite a service ace from Kearns, Eckerd pulled away again to take the first set and a 1-0 lead in the match.
Second Set: Florida Tech Panthers 25, Eckerd Tritons 20
- After dropping the first set, Tech came out with fire. They earned the first point of the second set before kills from Elisa Broggio and Cordelia Kearns opened a 6-2 lead.
- Eckerd fought back, but two straight service aces from Broggio kept Tech out front.
- With the Panthers leading 11-9, Tech went on a huge run. They outscored the Tritons 7-1 and led 18-10 with a set win right in front of them.
- Kills from Devyn Glassgold and Cordelia Kearns allowed the Panthers to stay out in front and close out the second set to tie the match at 1-1.
Third Set: Florida Tech Panthers 21, Eckerd Tritons 25
- With a tie match entering the third set, both sides knew a good start would swing the momentum.
- Eckerd jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but the Panthers stormed right back.
- Kills from Cordelia Kearns and Elisa Broggio not just helped Tech tie the game, but take a 8-5 lead.
- Tech held onto their lead through the middle part of the third set but unfortunately, Eckerd was able to retake the lead at 18-17 and never gave it up.
- Kearns, Ashley Rants and Devyn Glassgold all earned kills to keep Tech alive, but the Panthers fell just short.
Fourth Set: Florida Tech Panthers 25, Eckerd Tritons 20
- With their backs against the wall down 2-1, the panthers came out swinging in the fourth set.
- Hadley Waldren and Cordelia Kearns earned kills, and Courtney Capar added a service ace to help Tech take an early 6-1 lead.
- Eckerd began to try and catch up and would eventually tie the match, but kills from Scarlett Kimbrell helped the Panthers stay out in front.
- A bunch of Eckerd errors coupled with more kills from Tech allowed the Panthers to take a 19-12 lead with the set win in sight.
- Kearns, Broggio and Glassgold all added kills as Tech closed out the fourth set and sent this match to a sudden-death fifth set.
Fifth Set: Florida Tech Panthers 10, Eckerd Tritons 15
- After an ultra-competitive four set match, the fifth set matched the energy in the building.
- Both teams traded kills to open the final set as the score was knotted at 4-4.
- Neither side was able to pull away early as the fifth set saw ties at 7-7 and 9-9.
- Unfortunately for Tech, it was at this point that Eckerd took control of the set and used 5-0 run to reach match point.
- Cordelia Kearns earned a kill to give the Panthers a chance, but Eckerd came right back with one of their own to win the match.
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- With 14 digs tonight, Kenzie Delacher surpasses 1,000 digs for her Panther career
- Despite the loss, the Clemente Center was rocking with over 400 fans in attendance
UP NEXT: The Panthers will stay at home and take the court for a second game in 24 hours. Tech will host SSC foe Rollins College in the Clemente Center on Saturday at 4 PM. This match will serve as the Panthers' suicide awareness match; fans are encouraged to wear purple or teal.
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.
