LAKELAND, Fla. -- A 10-match winning streak came to an end for Southeastern volleyball Saturday afternoon, as the Fire fell in a back-and-forth Sun Conference showdown with Keiser, 25-22, 25-23, 17-25, 26-24, inside The Furnace. The loss dropped SEU to 19-3 overall and 9-2 in league play, while the Seahawks improved to 11-10 and 6-6 on the season.
Keiser came out swinging in the early sets, hitting .233 and .273 in the first two frames to take a 2–0 lead. SEU responded with a dominant third set, flipping the momentum behind its front-line defense. The Fire held Keiser to a -.023 attack percentage in the third, turning a series of key blocks into transition offense to win 25–17 and force a fourth. In the final frame, SEU erased a late deficit and tied the score at 24–24 before the Seahawks managed the final two points to close the match.
The Fire finished with 52 kills on .179 hitting, while Keiser tallied 66 kills on .168 efficiency. Southeastern held the edge at the net with 10 total blocks to Keiser's eight and added four service aces. The match was marked by long rallies and relentless defense on both sides—Keiser posted 98 digs to SEU's 91—and featured 22 total ties and seven lead changes.
Laura Bonomi led the Fire offense with 17 kills, 21 digs, and two aces, while
Yarelis Lopez contributed 11 kills, two aces, and 18 digs.
Jewel Carling added 10 kills on .333 hitting and paired with middle blockers
Lucrezia Ceroni and
Emily Maske to anchor SEU's blocking effort. Ceroni finished with six block assists and Maske with four, both adding offensive production on a combined .308 hitting clip. Libero
Marysa Connors led all players with 26 digs, while setters
Haven Speer (22 assists, eight digs) and
Ashley Downs (20 assists, 15 digs) spread the offense and provided defensive stability.
Keiser was paced by Cece Worsham, who notched a 23-kill, 20-dig double-double, and Isabella Steffel with 15 kills on .250 hitting. Setter Mallory Dills directed the Seahawk attack with 60 assists and five block assists, while Aubree Valcourt contributed 14 kills at a .345 clip.
The Fire will look to bounce back when they return to The Furnace on Wednesday, October 29, hosting Webber International University at 7 p.m. in another Sun Conference matchup.
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