LAKELAND, Fla.—Following its first Sun Conference title in program history, the Fire volleyball team will take on 22
nd-ranked Coastal Georgia tonight at 7 p.m. in the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round.
The Fire shocked the field at The Sun Conference Tournament, knocking off St. Thomas in five sets, then gave Warner its only loss to a conference opponent this year with a 3-1 win in Lake Wales. During the nine sets played in the tournament, the Fire hit .210 as a team and totaled 25 blocks.
In the championship game, the Fire got out to a quick 2-0 lead with 25-17 and 25-21 wins. The Royals came back with a convincing 25-13 win in the third to put the match in doubt.
"I just told the girls that it didn't matter if we won or lost, all that mattered was how we played," said coach
Audrey Gilbert. "If we were going to go out playing like we did in that third set, then there was going to be a very defeated mindset towards the whole season. We just needed to play hard no matter what the outcome is, and be proud of what we brought to the table."
The Fire answered back with a 25-23 win in the fourth to claim the title.
Individually, junior setter
Lindsey Fleming recorded 95 assists, 24 digs, and seven kills during the two match tournament. Junior
Lydia Rooth was the leading hitter with 40 kills and a .337 attacking percentage. Sophomore Uche Kojo was a force at the net, recording 14 total blocks, 20 kills, and hit .405 during the tournament.
"It's very exciting, and we're not sure what to expect, so we'll treat it just like we did (the conference championship) and go in and try to play the kind of volleyball we like to play," said Gilbert of the first appearance at the national tournament.
The Fire will need another strong presence at the net if they hope to advance to pool play at the championship final site December 1-3 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Mariners are the NAIA's top hitting team, sporting a .304 attacking percentage, and average 2.8 blocks per set, which ranks second in the country. Coach Jeff Huebner's squad sits at 30-3 on the season, and is fresh off its second straight Southern States Athletic Conference title.
CCGA also boasts a strong service game, ranking second in aces per set at 2.4. SSAC Freshman of the Year Regan Coughlin is 12
th in the NAIA in total aces with 62. Junior Cayley Meiners in 12
th in the NAIA in assists per set at 10.8, and earned conference setter of the year honors.
"For us to be successful, we need to keep focused on earning each point and remember to have fun playing this game," said Gilbert.
The two teams have seven common opponents: Florida National, Ave Maria, St. Thomas, Webber International, Mobile, Faulkner, and Brenau. Southeastern was 7-5 against that group, and Coastal Georgia went 11-1 against them, with the lone loss to Mobile. All-time, the Fire are 2-3 against the Mariners, and have lost the last three meetings.
Tickets can be purchased on location. Student tickets are $5 and adult tickets are $8. Fans that are unable to make the trip can watch the game via
video stream or follow along with
live stats.
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