Disqualification. An early, unexpected exit and a program that didn’t even exist. The three teams that represented Florida National University (FNU) at this year’s USCAA National Championship have come a long way since last year’s tournament. When the invites to this year’s big dance came rolling around, one word resonated: redemption. The Conquistadors entered the tournament highly regarded in the national sphere, with the Women’s Volleyball Team as the #1 Seed and both Men’s and Women’s Soccer as the #3 seed.
The Conquistador Men’s Soccer team put on an awe-inspiring defensive effort, not allowing a single goal throughout the entire tournament. After defeating Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse 3 to 0 in the finals, the Conquistadors were rightfully crowned as USCAA Champions, with forward Rodrigo Costa named Tournament MVP.
Typically when a new program is implemented into a school’s athletic department, expectations are tempered for year one. But, simply put, that’s just not how FNU handles business. In their first year, the Lady Conquistadors Soccer Team took their resiliency all the way to the finals, where they finished as Tournament Runner-Ups, falling just short to University of Maine-Fort Kent. The #1 seed Lady Conquistadors Volleyball team, after an impressive regular season, finished the tournament 3rd overall. Senior Silvia Galeano led the entire tournament in hitting percentage and service aces while Freshman Carolina Dantas took home the #1 spot in assists.
Conquistadors bring Championship Glory Back Home!
