The Pirates clinched their first win in the Sun-Lakes Conference Championship on Friday against the St. Johns River State Vikings.
Pensacola State came out of the gate fiery in the first two sets against the Vikings with 16 kills in each set. They held the momentum of the match until the Vikings fought back and grabbed it. With the lead in favor of the Vikings, the Pirates' backs were against the wall. The team shifted gears and decided to turn things around. Maddie Mire and Kathryn Lupo helped gain the energy back for their team by serving in five aces combined.
In the three-set battle, outside hitter Anyaliz Rodriguez dominated the offense with a total of 16 kills and a hitting average of .467. Middle blockers Riley Carter and Paige Patterson put on a show of their own with 9 kills each. Kiara Vega ran a fluid offense with 32 assists in the match, while libero Maddie Mire scooped up 14 digs and three assists.
With the win PSC advanced to the semifinals where they faced the Pasco-Hernando Bobcats that same evening. Both teams fought point-for-point, but the Pirates executed their game and secured the match in three sets (25-23, 25-20, 25-19).
Vega ran the Pirates' offense, clocking in 33 assists to help her team earn 41 kills. Rodriguez led her team yet again with a double-double of 15 kills and 11 digs. Cadence Goeden joined the party with eight kills against the Bobcats, helping PSC stay confident in the battle. The middle hitters also checked in to the match; Carter with six kills and Patterson with seven.
Pensacola State's net defense showed up with seven blocks. Mire helped control the back court as she made nine digs and helped her team swing with five assists. Defensive specialist, Carly Cooper also came in clutch for her team behind the end line with three aces.
The Pirate's relentless fight kept them in the race toward the championship title.
Pensacola entered the championship match against the Gulf Coast State College Commodores on Saturday with determination. Both teams battled swing-for-swing in the first set, fighting to take lead.
The Commodores led offensively in the first set with 13 kills, holding the Pirates to only 11, but PSC held less errors, which helped them to finish on top (25-23). The second set was not much different as the two teams continued to scratch and claw to keep the lead. Tied with 16 kills, the second set came down to errors yet again. The Pirates stayed steady with only one error, closing out the second set in their favor (25-22).
Both teams turned it on in the final set as they both hit averages over .300 and kept their errors below five. Pensacola was able to run away with the lead and close the match out with a 25-20 victory.
Cadence Goeden led the Pirates to success with 16 kills and four block assists. Right behind her was Rodriguez with 14 kills, four block assists and Patterson with seven kills and five block assists. Vega dished out 37 assists, helping her team rack up a total of 43 kills. The defense was handled by Mire as she totaled 19 digs, along with Vega who had 15 of her own. The front row made it difficult for the Commodores to score as they put up nine total blocks on the match.
The Pirate's vigorous pursuit led them to capture the program's first Sun-Lakes Conference Championship title in three intense sets.
Three of Pensacola State's players were named to the All-Tournament team (Kiara Vega, Maddie Mire) including the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Anyaliz Rodriguez. Head coach Patricia Gandolfo was named Coach of the Year for the NJCAA DII South Atlantic District and received the Kim Whitney award.
The Pirates now train for the next week before heading to the NJCAA DII National Championship Tournament on November 16-18. The tournament will be held at Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids, IA.
