Florida Tech Panthers

MELBOURNE, FLA. – Florida Tech Volleyball was back on home court tonight to host Rollins College. Behind 27 kills from Cordelia Kearns, the Panthers bounced back for a big conference win.

MATCH TEN: SSC PLAY
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 3, Rollins College Tars 1
Set Recap: (23-25), (25-21), (25-17), (25-20)
Records: Florida Tech (5-13, 3-7 SSC) | Rollins College Tars (10-11, 3-7 SSC)
Location: Clemente Center | Melbourne, Florida

MATCH NOTES:
First Set: Florida Tech Panthers 23, Rollins College Tars 25

• Tonight's match did not start in the Panthers favor, with the Tars opening up a 7-3 early lead.
• Kills from Cordelia Kearns, Elisa Broggio and Scarlett Kimbrell put an end to the run and cut the deficit to three points.
• Ayisha Missipo joined her teammates with a kill of her own and Kearns picked up another one as the Rollins lead was cut to one point at 10-9.
• However, Rollins used a 5-0 run to go up by six in the middle of the set.
• Kearns and Missipo produced more kills for Tech, but they were unable to spark a big run of their own.
• A late comeback effort got the Panthers back within one, but it was not enough as the Tars took the first set.

Second Set: Florida Tech Panthers 25, Rollins College Tars 21

• Needing a response after dropping the first set, Kearns and Missipo guided the Panthers to a 6-4 lead to begin the second set.
• While the Tars used a quick 4-0 run to retake the lead briefly, big swings from Kearns, Broggio and Isabelle Clark had the scoreline tied at 12-12.
• After a Rollins point, another kill from Clark sparked a huge 9-2 run as the Panthers officially swung the momentum back to their side.
• The Tars ended the run, but three more Panther points, including another kill from Kearns, had Tech up 23-15 late in the set.
• Despite a strong comeback effort from Rollins, Cordelia Kearns put the set away with her 13^th kill of the match.

Third Set: Florida Tech Panthers 25, Rollins College Tars 17

• With the momentum fully on Tech's side, they began the third set with authority.
• Kills from four different Panthers gave them a 6-3 lead out of the gate.
• A 4-0 run from the Tars tied the set up at 8-8, but another Kearns kill and an ace from Brooke Menke re-extended the Tech advantage.
• More kills from Kearns and Clark, plus block assists from Kearns, Kimbrell, Broggio and Clark had the Panthers firmly out front 20-15.
• The kill party continued as Kearns and Clark earned two more each to close out the third set, and the Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the match.

Fourth Set: Florida Tech Panthers 25, Rollins College Tars 20

• The fourth set began with both teams trading points, leading to tie scores at 1-1, 4-4 and 8-8.
• Cordleia Kearns picked up her 10^th dig followed by her 24^th kill to secure a double-double and give the Panthers a 10-9 lead.
• Both sides continued to battle back and forth as the scoreline remained tied at 12-12.
• Following a Tar service error, Cordleia Kearns produced back-to-back kills and sparked a 6-1 run for Tech.
• Leading 17-13, Ayisha Missipo and Scarlett Kimbrell both earned a kill as the Panthers were inching towards putting the match away.
• The Tars attempted a late comeback, but two straight kills from Isabell Clark ended the match in style.

 
NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Cordelia Kearns – 27 Kills, 11 Digs, 3 Blocks
• Ayisha Missipo – 10 Kills, 1 Block
• Sophia Schneider / Natalie Rhodes – 49 Assists

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• 27 kills from Cordelia Kearns is her season high
• The Panthers are now 3-1 on home court

UP NEXT: The Panthers will turn around and host Embry-Riddle tomorrow afternoon. The first edition of this year's Karman Clash will begin at 4:00 PM.

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.
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