LAKELAND, Fla. -- SEU Volleyball left no doubt Saturday afternoon inside The Furnace, sweeping Ave Maria in straight sets to pick up a key Sun Conference win. The Fire improved to 10-2 overall and 2-1 in league play after taking down the Gyrenes by scores of 25-13, 25-13, 25-15
From the opening serve, Southeastern's balance and efficiency were on full display. The Fire hit .302 as a team, racking up 43 kills compared to just 11 errors on 106 swings.
The Fire jumped all over Ave Maria in the opening frame, racing to a 10-3 lead behind early kills from
Laura Bonomi and
Yarelis Lopez. The Gyrenes never recovered as Southeastern stretched the margin into double digits and closed the set on a 7-1 run.
Set two followed a similar script, with SEU seizing control midway through thanks to a string of tough serves from
Ashley Downs that pushed the lead to 18-10. Bonomi delivered back-to-back kills to help polish off the set, giving the Fire a commanding 2-0 advantage.
Ave Maria's best push came in the third, where the Gyrenes managed to keep it close early at 8-7. But Southeastern answered immediately with a 6-1 spurt sparked by Lopez and
Lucrezia Ceroni, and the Fire never looked back. Reed capped the match with a kill to seal the sweep and keep SEU perfect at home.
Leading the charge was Bonomi, who tallied a match-high 13 kills at a .281 clip while adding three service aces and 11 digs. Lopez was nearly unstoppable on the outside, putting away nine kills on a .400 hitting percentage and recording 12 digs. Ceroni provided additional firepower in the middle, finishing with seven kills at an efficient .462.
Setter
Haven Speer ran the show with 25 assists and six digs, while libero
Marysa Connors anchored the defense with a team-best 17 digs. Southeastern's serve pressure also proved decisive, as the Fire notched 11 aces to Ave Maria's one.
The Fire will stay at home for their next contest, welcoming Florida College to The Furnace on Tuesday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m.
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