LAKELAND, Fla.— For the first time in eight seasons, the Fire swept St. Thomas in the Furnace. Led by a massive double-double performance by
Avery Bradshaw, Southeastern moved to 9-1 and picked up a victory in their opening Sun Conference contest 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-20).
Both teams came out hitting the ball hard, recording 17 (STU) and 19 (SEU) kills in the opening set. Down 23-21 in the first frame, the Fire were able to escape by winning five of the next six points to take a 1-0 advantage with a 26-24 win. Bradshaw,
Hannah Kaszubowski and
Abigail Weaver each had four kills in the first game. Kaszubowski finished with a career-high ten killed attack attempts.
The same was true in the second set, as the Fire fell behind 23-21 late. This time Southeastern rallied with four straight points, capped off by a
Carly Sundt ace to give SEU a 2-0 lead.
"These girls came out today and not only showed people we earned the number one preseason rating, but that we're going to play hard for it", stated Head Coach
Audrey Goldsberry.
Goldsberry continued, "offensively, we had to keep swinging and being aggressive. Abby Weaver came in and kept the offense and energy going all game".
Weaver, who had three total kills in her career heading into the match, exploded for ten against the Bobcats. The sophomore from Apopka also ended with a team-high .409 hitting percentage, as she ousted St. Thomas with her final kill of the day in a 25-20 third set.
"Everybody played really well together today. Our team is different because we play for each other, not for ourselves. Personally, I want to win for the team and that's what motivates me," Weaver noted.
Keniah Rivera Santiago, who captained the Fire with 24 digs, has continued to lead the back row. The senior added nine digs in the third set alone, while fellow senior Bradshaw finished with 21 digs. Setter
Courtney Krause ended with a match-high 36 assists.
Southeastern's triumph over the Bobcats was the Fire's first regular season win against STU in five years. SEU will now go on the road to battle Florida Memorial on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
