TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. ( Sept. 21, 2023) – A 31-kill outing was not enough to earn Florida National’s women’s volleyball (1-4) its first conference win, as they fell to the Florida College Falcons (6-8) 3-1. The reigning Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) title holders pushed past a hungry FNU squad fresh off a sweep of the Trinity College of Florida Tigers on Sept. 12.
The Falcons won the first game of this thriller 25-19 and recorded 16 kills. Layla Cortez executed four kills in the opener and Ivette Sandoval had four assists. The early goings saw these two Florida teams tie the set 6-6 before the Falcons went on a 19-13 run heading into the second set.
Florida National bounced back in the second, displaying its signature liveliness in a 25-21 victory to tie the match. The Conquistadors had 11 kills in the frame and got off to a 13-7 lead midway through. But FNU’s momentum was shortlived, as the Falcons picked up the first three points in the third and won the set 25-12. Gabriela Gonzalez had two kills in the frame and a statement slam from the Falcons’ Raquel Teixeira ended the set.
The fourth and final set of the match was another dominant win for the host team. FNU was held to just 11 points in the deciding game. The Falcons held a 19-11 lead and claimed six straight points in front of the Falcon faithful. Sandoval had a team-high 10 digs while Taylor Purdy collected three service aces. Cortez had another double-digit kill night with 13.
Up Next: Florida National won’t have to wait too long for a rematch versus Florida College. The Falcons host the Conquistadors Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m.
