Pirates Dominate in South Florida

The Pirates made their way to south Florida over the weekend where they faced three strong conference opponents. 

Opening their weekend with a thrilling five set showdown against the Pasco-Hernando Bobcats, the Pirates pulled through with another win. 

Pasco-Hernando started off the match causing trouble for the Pirates. Unable to pull ahead, Pensacola State lost the first set. The Pirates decided to come back and secure the second set, pushing a four-set match. Then Pasco-Hernando turned right around and took over the third set. With their backs against the wall, the Pirates had no choice but to fight to stay in the match. By being the aggressor, they were able to force the fifth set and run away with a match victory, with a final score of 15-12.

The front line for the Pirates put up a wall against the Bobcats and presented three solo blocks and 22 block assists. In the back row, the Pirates presented 86 digs, 32 of which were corralled by libero Maddie Mire, along with 17 from outside hitter Anyaliz Rodriguez and 12 from defensive specialist Kathryn Lupo.  

On the offensive side, Pensacola State fired 57 kills against the Bobcats. Rodriguez led with a total of 17, followed by right side hitter Cadence Goeden with 12, along with 10 kills from middle blocker Paige Patterson. The Pirates' offense was run by setter Kiara Vega, who delivered 51 total assists, 9 digs and 3 block assists.   

The following day the Pirates made their way to the State College of Florida (SCF), where they executed another victory, this time in three sets (28-26, 26-24, 25-19). 

Pensacola State had to fight tooth and nail in each set as the Manatees ceased to back down. 

The Pirates were offensively dominant against SCF. Rodriguez led with 12 kills and Patterson added 11. Vega dished out 39 assists, helping her team hit a total average of .304. Defense for the Pirates also kept their offense alive with 54 digs total. Mire and Vega both led in the category with 12 each. 

PSC closed out their south Florida tour with a 3-0 sweep against the St. Petersburg Titans. 

Struggling in the beginning of the match, the Pirates secured the first set 26-24. The Titans stayed in the fight during the second set but were unable to pull ahead. The Pirates shifted gears and commanded the third set, leaving the match with a final score of 25-10. 

The Pirates deflected the Titans' attacks with a total of 40 digs. The front line for PSC executed 33 kills, hitting an average of .250. Vega handled the offense with 33 assists.  

After finishing a successful 3-0 weekend, the Pirates continue to climb up in the NJCAA DII Volleyball rankings, being selected as no. 9 in the nation. Kiara Vega was named the Region 8 Setter of the Week for the fifth time this season while Paige Patterson was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week. 

Pensacola State is finally back home for this upcoming weekend. Starting out on Friday, September 29th against South Florida State College at 5:00 pm. The match will be raising awareness to Childhood Cancer, so wear your best Yellow outfit and come cheer on your Pirates.  

On Saturday, PSC will be celebrating Sophomore Day, while battling against Palm Beach State College at 1:00 pm.