LAKELAND, Fla. -- SEU Volleyball opened Sun Conference play on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Florida Memorial 3-0 (25-5, 25-14, 25-13) at The Furnace. The win pushed the Fire's record to 9-1 overall, 1-0 in conference play, and 3-0 at home while extending their winning streak to four straight matches.
The Fire wasted no time taking control, storming out to an early lead in the first set behind relentless serving and an efficient offensive rhythm. Southeastern scored nine of the first 10 points and continued to apply pressure, using a 7-0 service run to break the frame wide open. The Fire hit .417 in the set, led by four kills from
Laura Bonomi and a pair of early strikes from
Emily Maske, while holding the Lions to just two kills total on 27 attempts.
Florida Memorial settled in to start the second set, forcing the match's first tie at 6-6. But from there, Southeastern answered with authority, ripping off a 9-2 scoring run sparked by back-to-back kills from
Jewel Carling and a block assist from
Yarelis Lopez. Maske stayed hot with four kills in the frame, and the Fire's well-balanced offense proved too much as they closed it out 25-14, hitting .300 in the set while limiting FMU to .071.
The Lions opened the third set with their best stretch of play, battling through three early ties and briefly holding a 7-6 lead. Southeastern quickly flipped the momentum when Bonomi delivered back-to-back aces, fueling a 6-1 run that forced a Florida Memorial timeout. The Fire kept their foot on the gas from there, getting timely kills from Bonomi, Lopez, and Carling to finish off the sweep 25-13 and secure their ninth win of the season.
Bonomi led all players with 11 kills, three aces, and 10 digs for a match-high 14 points. Maske followed with nine kills on .600 hitting, and Carling added six kills without an error on a .545 clip. Lopez chipped in four kills, three service aces, and seven total points, providing a key spark both at the net and from the service line.
Ashley Downs directed the attack with 16 assists and two aces, while
Haven Speer added 10 assists and an ace of her own.
Marysa Connors anchored the defense with nine digs, while Bonomi and Lopez combined for 16 more. Collectively, the Fire tallied 11 service aces and hit .315 as a team, while holding the Lions to a -.051 hitting percentage — Southeastern's most dominant defensive effort of the season.
With the victory, the Fire remain unbeaten inside The Furnace and open Sun Conference play on a high note. SEU returns to action Wednesday, September 10, on the road against New College of Florida in Sarasota.
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