LAKELAND, Fla. -- The SEU volleyball team will hit the road for the Faulkner Invitational this weekend with three matches on tap. The Fire open Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. EST against Stillman College before turning around for a Saturday doubleheader, facing Reinhardt at 10 a.m. and host Faulkner at 12 p.m.
All matches will stream live on the Faulkner Sports Network YouTube channel. Live stats will also be available throughout the tournament.
Fire Rising in 2025
Southeastern enters the weekend with a 5-1 record, marking its best six-game start since beginning the 2018 season 7-0. The Fire are 3-1 in neutral site contests and have yet to play a true road match this season.
The Fire were picked second in the 2025 Sun Conference Preseason Poll, receiving 41 points and one first-place vote. Only St. Thomas (49 points, seven first-place nods) was ranked higher, while Keiser was picked third with 36 points.
At home, SEU boasts one of the Sun Conference's most intimidating environments inside The Furnace. Southeastern posted a 7-1 record at home last season, with the lone loss coming to a nationally ranked opponent. Over the past three-plus seasons, the Fire are 23-4 at home, proving to be one of the toughest teams in the league to beat on their court.
Conference Numbers
Through the opening two weekends, SEU has established itself among the top statistical leaders in the Sun Conference. The Fire currently lead the league in kills per set (13.60), assists per set (12.75), and service aces per set (2.10), while ranking second in attack percentage (.235). SEU also sits third in digs per set (18.30).
Individually, the Fire boast several of the Sun Conference's best performers.
Laura Bonomi leads the league in kills per set (4.00) and service aces per set (0.80), while ranking second overall in points.
Yarelis Lopez is third in kills (3.55) and tied for second in aces (0.50), giving SEU two of the top five offensive threats in the conference.
Emily Maske ranks fifth in both kills (2.63) and attack percentage (.312), while
Annelise de Jong owns the second-best attack percentage in the league at .343. At setter,
Haven Speer (7.60 assists per set) and
Ava Connors (5.25) both sit inside the top five. On defense,
Marysa Connors ranks fourth in digs per set (4.68), and
Lucrezia Ceroni is among the conference leaders in blocking at 0.61 per set.
Bonomi-ation Station
For the second straight week,
Laura Bonomi was named the Sun Conference Attacker of the Week, and her numbers back it up. The senior leads the Fire with 80 kills (4.0 per set) while hitting .291 and ranks first on the team in service aces with 16. A six-rotation standout, she also contributes 73 digs (3.65 per set), tallying a monster double-double of 19 kills and 23 digs in the win over Grace.
Lopez Locks In
Yarelis Lopez provides a steady scoring punch, sitting second on the team with 71 kills (3.55 per set). She adds 10 aces and 76 digs (3.80 per set), showing her versatility on both sides of the ball. Lopez delivered 17 kills against Grace and has been a consistent option across six matches.
Speer It Up
Setter
Haven Speer keeps the offense rolling, handing out 152 assists (7.60 per set) to fuel the Fire attack. She also chips in defensively with 40 digs and has twice surpassed 35 assists in a match, including a season-high 40 against Grace.
Marysa Makes It Look Easy
In the back row,
Marysa Connors anchors the Fire defense with a team-best 89 digs (4.68 per set) and a strong .944 reception percentage. Twice this season, Connors has posted over 20 digs in a match, including 23 in the victory over Grace.
Jewel of a Blocker
Jewel Carling has been solid at the net, recording 11 total blocks (0.58 per set) to tie for the team lead. Her four-block performance against Grace highlighted her ability to disrupt opposing hitters.
Series History
Friday's opener marks the first-ever meeting between Southeastern and Stillman College on the volleyball court.
Against Reinhardt, SEU trails the all-time series 3-2, with a 1-1 mark in neutral site contests. The Fire most recently swept the Eagles 3-0 at home on August 16 of this season.
Southeastern and Faulkner have met 16 times, with the Eagles holding a 9-7 edge overall and a 7-4 advantage in Montgomery. The Fire have turned the tide in recent years, however, winning six of the last eight meetings, including a five-set victory on September 1, 2023, at a neutral site.
Looking Ahead
Following the Faulkner Invitational, Southeastern will return home to open Sun Conference play on Saturday, September 6, at 2 p.m. against Florida Memorial inside The Furnace.
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