SCF VB Wrap Up Conference Crossover Play

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (7-4, 3-3 Sun Lakes South) will look to wrap up crossover play in the Sun Lakes on a strong note. The Manatees will head on the road for the next three matches as they first travel to Jacksonville to take on Florida State College at Jacksonville (1-10, 1-5 Sun Lakes North) Thursday night, September 28 at 6 pm at the Blue Wave South Campus Fieldhouse. They will then head an hour south to Palatka to take on St. John's River State (14-8, 3-3 Sun Lakes North) Friday afternoon, September 29 at 4 pm at the PAC Gymnasium before concluding the trip with a match against Lake Sumter State (8-7, 3-3 Sun Lakes North) Saturday afternoon, September 30 at 1 pm at the Everett A. Kelly Convocation Center in Leesburg.

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

North - 

1. #9 Pensacola State (19-1, 7-0)

2. #15 Gulf Coast State (9-3, 5-2)

3. St. John's River State (14-8, 4-3)

4. Lake Sumter State (8-7, 3-3)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (1-10, 1-5)

South - 

1. RV Pasco Hernando State (8-6, 4-2)

2. Palm Beach State (4-11, 4-3)

3. SCF (7-4, 3-3)

4. South Florida State (2-6, 1-6)

5. St. Pete (1-7, 1-6)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of falling in their last two matches at home to Gulf Coast State and Pensacola State both by a score of 3-0. They are currently in third place in conference play.

Leading the offense for the Manatees is freshman Aleksandra Wrobel and sophomores Katie Keefe and Caelan Cook.

Wrobel currently has 73 kills (most on the team), seven aces, 47 digs and 11 blocks. Keefe has 68 kills (second on the team), 12 aces, 81 digs and nine blocks, while Cook has 52 kills, seven aces, 37 digs and eight blocks.

In setting, freshmen Morgan McGuire and Elise Bakken lead the way. McGuire currently has 166 assists, 14 aces and 91 digs, while Bakken has 165 assists, 10 aces and 61 digs.

Defensively, freshmen Kat Tallo and Teresa Briefeneder and sophomore Shelby Pillow lead the front row. Tallo and Briefeneder each have 18 blocks with Tallo adding 26 kills, seven aces and 42 digs, while Briefeneder adding 43 kills and 18 digs. Pillow has 10 blocks to go along with 27 kills.

Scouting FSCJ:

The Blue Wave are coming off of splitting this past weekend with a 3-0 loss to Palm Beach State before securing their first win of the season with a 3-0 shutout over South Florida State. They are currently in last place in the north division of conference.

Martina Soler Marti leads the way offensively 70 kills, 14 aces, 91 digs and 11 blocks, while Yanielly Nieves follows with 66 kills, 48 digs and 18 blocks (11 solo).

Defensively, Stefania Del Carmina Caballero Juarez leads the front row defense with 23 blocks (12 solo) to go along with 17 kills, while Hana Roberts leads the back row defense with 123 and eight aces.

Scouting St. John's River State:

The Lady Vikings are coming off of 3-1 win over Santa Fe College Tuesday night. They are currently third in the north division of conference play,

Key players for the Vikings' offense include Katelynn Wright (119 kills, 88 digs and 18 blocks), Gianna San Filippo (117 kills and 54 blocks (36 solo)) and Brittany Cowart (106 kills and 36 blocks (19 solo)). On defense, apart from San Filippo in the front row, Lauren Herz leads the back row with 305 digs.

In setting, Taylor Delaney has 264 assists and 29 aces, while Gianna Mora leads with 279 assists and 19 aces.

Scouting Lake Sumter State:

The Lakehawks are coming off of a 3-0 shutout win over St. Pete College Tuesday. They are currently in third place in conference standings. Prior to playing SCF, the Lakehawks will play RV Pasco Hernando State Thursday, September 28.

Leading the offense and back row defense for the Lakehawks is Kaylee Hunt (147 kills, 14 aces, 183 digs and 24 blocks) and Yarelis Lopez Osorio (134 kills, 14 aces, 184 digs and 13 blocks). In the front row for defense, Katelyn Johnson (66 kills and 46 blocks) leads the way.

How to Keep Up:

All three matches will air on livestream and fans can keep with the Manatees on all social media platforms.

Livestream Links:

SCF @ FSCJ - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/fscjacksonville/

SCF @ St. John's River ($) - https://www.sjrvikings.com/vball_live

SCF @ Lake Sumter State - https://www.team1sports.com/college/?S=lake-sumteersc&B=616521

Social Media Links:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

X - https://twitter.com/SCFVolleyball?s=09

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/volleyball_scf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

SCF VB Faces Challenging Home Weekend

Bradenton, Fla - After completing their second road trip, the SCF volleyball team (7-2, 3-1 Sun Lakes South) return home to Hal Chasey Gymnasium for their toughest home matches of the weekend to continue Sun Lakes Conference play. The Manatees will welcome #9 Gulf Coast State (8-2, 4-1 Sun Lakes North) Friday night, September 22 at 5 pm before welcoming #12 Pensacola State (17-1, 5-0 Sun Lakes North) Saturday afternoon, September 23 at 3 pm.

Sun Lakes Standings:

North - 

1. #12 Pensacola State (16-1, 4-0)

2. #9 Gulf Coast State (7-2, 4-1)

3. St. John's River State (12-7, 2-2)

4. Lake Sumter State (6-7, 1-3)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-9, 0-4)

South

1. SCF (7-2, 3-1)

2. Pasco Hernando State (7-6, 3-1)

3. Palm Beach State (2-10, 2-2)

4. South Florida State (2-3, 1-3)

5. St. Pete (1-6, 1-3)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of wrapping up their four match road trip last week where they defeated Pasco Hernando State and Palm Beach State both by a score of 3-1. They are currently tied for first place in Sun Lake South Division Standings with Pasco Hernando, but hold first place overall due to their overall record.

The Assassin Steps in:

Sophomore Isabella Rebimbas played a key role in the last two sets in the match against Palm Beach State both on defense and offense. Rebimbas had four kills and three digs in the match that lead to the win. Currently, the Naples native has 20 kills and 18 digs so far this season.

Rebimbas was not the only that became crucial in the match against Palm Beach as freshman Charlotte Herman stepped up on defense as she had three digs and two blocks. Herman has 37 kills, 21 digs and nine blocks in her name.

Pillow Fight Block Party:

While she did not have a lot on the blocking side against Palm Beach State, sophomore Shelby Pillow remained as a key element to boosting the Manatees' offense as well. Pillow had seven kills and a block against Palm Beach State. Currently, she has 20 kills and 10 blocks in her name so far since returning from injury.

Freshman Katrina Tallo has also played strongly in the front row defensively. Tallo had three kills, eight digs and four blocks in the win over Palm Beach State. The local product of Sarasota currently has 24 kills, 24 digs and 20 blocks (four solo).

Building Up:

Since her official Manatees' debut, sophomore Amee Beedle has become key in both playing a strong back row defense to go along with her offense. Beedle currently has 28 kills, eight aces, 37 digs and four blocks so far this season. Against Palm Beach State, the Wheaton, Illinois native had five kills, one ace, nine digs and a block.

Setting Away:

Freshmen Morgan McGuire and Elise Bakken continue playing their part while rotating in as the key setters for the Manatees.

McGuire came off securing her second straight double-double in assists and digs as she had 19 assists and 10 digs to go along with her first collegiate kill in her last outing. She currently has 127 assists, 13 aces and 79 digs.

Bakken had 16 assists, seven digs and an ace against Palm Beach State. The Norwegian has 145 assists, 10 aces and 56 digs.

United They Stand:

Joining Bakken as part of the European style offensive and defensive game is sophomore Katie Keefe and freshmen Aleksandra Wrobel and Teresa Briefeneder.

While she was held to six kills and six digs in her last game, Keefe currently has 55 kills, 12 aces and 72 digs so far.

Wrobel comes off of securing her second straight double-double in kills and digs against Palm Beach State as she finished with 10 kills and 10 digs. She currently has 61 kills, seven aces, 39 digs and 10 blocks.

Briefeneder currently has 37 kills, 16 digs and 12 blocks in her name so far despite only having one kill in her last match.

Wilding Out:

Sophomores Caelan Cook, Bailee Perry and Rachel Carroll play as the wildcards on the team.

Cook currently has 43 kills, five aces, 31 digs and eight blocks so far this season. The Satellite Beach native had a season-high eight kills, three aces and eight digs in the win against Palm Beach.

While she has struggled recently, Perry currently has 27 kills, eight aces, 42 digs and seven blocks so far this season.

Carroll came off of finishing her last matchup with nine digs and two assists. She currently has 46 digs and nine assists in her name so far.

Scouting Gulf Coast State:

The Lady Commodores are coming off of defeating Florida State College at Jacksonville 3-1 in their last match. They are currently in second place in the north division after being shutout by Pensacola State earlier (September 13). Despite that loss, the Lady Commodores remain as one of the nation's best team in volleyball as they are ranked #9 in the nation. Prior to playing SCF, the Lady Commodores will battle Pasco Hernando State Wednesday night, September 21 at 6 pm.

Offensively, sophomore Erica Irby leads the way for the Lady Commodores with 81 kills, 45 digs and 10 blocks. Following Irby is freshman Jaiden Rogers as she has 60 kills, 17 digs and 18 blocks.

Defensively, sophomore Izabela Denton, a transfer from Stephen F. Austin University,  leads the back row with 171 digs and 38 assists. Classmate Abigail Williams leads front row defense with 21 blocks, 30 kills and 14 blocks.

Scouting Pensacola State:

The Lady Pirates are currently ranked #12 in the nation and are coming off of a 3-0 shutout win over Florida State College at Jacksonville. They earned their place in the NJCAA Top 20 polls after upsetting then #3 Gulf Coast State while maintaining a 12-match winning streak. Prior to playing SCF, the Lady Pirates will face Pasco Hernando State Thursday night, September 22 at 6 pm.

Leading the way for the Lady Pirates' offense is sophomore Anyaliz Rodriguez. Rodriguez currently has 220 kills, 15 aces, 165 digs and 29 blocks. Her amount kills are ranked #9 in the nation with her four kills per set ranks #12.

Another player for the Lady Pirates is sophomore Kiara Vega. Vega, a setter for the team, currently has 586 assists to go along with 21 kills, 21 aces and 149 digs. This week, Vega was named the NJCAA DII Region 8 Setter of the Week, the NJCAA DII Offensive Player of the Week and AVCA/GameChanger Two-Year College Player of the Week.

Defensively, freshman Riley Carter leads with 46 blocks to go along with 79 kills and 13 aces, while classmate Maddie Mire leads with 268 digs and 20 aces.

Series History:

Overall, the Manatees are currently 13-4 overall against the Commodores and 6-5 against the Lady Pirates. In the last outings, the Manatees fell 3-2 to the Lady Commodores (then #18 in the nation) in Panama and 3-0 to Pensacola in Pensacola.

How to Keep Up:

Both matches will air on the SCF Sports Network. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on all social media platforms.

Livestream Link - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

Social Media Links - 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

X - https://twitter.com/SCFVolleyball?s=09

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/volleyball_scf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D:

SCF VB Slams Palm Beach State

Lake Worth, Fla - After overcoming a rocky first set, the SCF volleyball team (7-2, 3-1 Sun Lakes South) put it all on the floor and on the line and defeated Palm Beach State (2-10, 2-2 Sun Lakes South) 3-1 (9-25, 26-24, 29-27, 25-21) at  the Elisabeth W. Erling Gymnasium in Palm Beach.

"The team was absolutely incredible," said head coach Lynn Burnett. "The first set became our warmup after some bus issues, so we didn't have our full warmup time that we were supposed to have. When we got there, we only got 20 minutes and that cut out a part of our mental preparedness as well as physical. After that set, I told them that not to worry about the score and just started working together as a team and they did that for the next three sets."

"I felt like we had a bit of a rough start when the first set occurred," said sophomore Isabella Rebimbas. "After that, we figured it out quickly. We were very excited to beat them as one of our biggest competitors that we haven't beaten in a few years."

"Overall, I felt extremely proud of how much work my team out into this win," said sophomore Shelby Pillow. "There was a lot of long rallies and I believe we did an amazing job of putting the ball away and scoring those crucial points that we needed to score when the game became close. It just felt amazing to bring home a win over Palm beach after losing to them for three straight seasons. Everyone had their minds set on winning this game."

The first set was a result of brief miscommunication for the Manatees as the Lady Panthers took the set.

"After that set, I told them that not to worry about the score and just started working together as a team," said Burnett on the first set.

Burnett's words resined through and would wake the Manatees up heading into the second set with a fighting hunger as sophomores Katie Keefe and Caelan Cook and freshman Aleksandra Wrobel would get crucial kills that help the Manatees push to tie the set at 24 apiece. With serve possession belonging to the Manatees, Cook would put them up with an ace before sophomore Amee Beedle sealed the second set with a kill to the right front corner to tie the match 1-1.

Heading into the third set, the Lady Panthers looked as they were regaining the momentum to take the third set with a 24-19 lead and set point on the line. While the Manatees ran out of substitutions, Burnett would bring in Rebimbas and freshman Charlotte Herman to sub in and it became the crucial turning point for the Manatees as they would score four straight points thanks to a kill by Wrobel, a Lady Panther attack error, an ace by Cook and a double block by Herman and freshman Kat Tallo to bring the score to 24-23 before a timeout was called.

After the time out, the Manatees would tie the game at 24 apiece after a Lady Panthers attack error before it became neck and neck for the next few points with a key double block by Rebimbas and Tallo and a solo block by Herman being big parts of the momentum for the Manatees. With the set tied 27 apiece and the Lady Panthers with possession of serve, the Manatees would be the victor of the third set thanks to a kill by Rebimbas and a ball handling error from the Lady Panthers.

Heading into the fourth and final set, the Manatees were faced with a challenge to take it while being down briefly, but kills by Rebimbas and Pillow and an ace by Beedle would give the Manatees a three point lead before Pillow put them up by five after back-to-back kills. After the Lady Panthers earned a couple of points off of two errors, the Manatees would seal the deal off of a Lady Panther free ball attempt to no avail for the win.

Wrobel would be the offensive leader as she secured her second straight double-double with 10 kills, 10 digs, one ace, two assists and a block. Cook would follow with eight kills of her own to go along with three aces and eight digs, while Pillow rounded out the order with seven kills, one dig and one solo block. Keefe would finish with six kills and three digs, while Rebimbas added five kills and two digs in two sets.

"I felt pretty good overall playing," said Pillow. "I knew my team had my back when we decided it was time to start including the middles into scoring points offensively. Palm Beach had great coverage and it was hard not being able to score many points on the blocking side of things, but I'm glad I could be of use offensively."

In setting, freshman Morgan McGuire lead the way with her second straight double-double of 21 assists, 10 digs and one kill, while classmate Elise Bakken finished with 16 assists, seven digs and one ace.

Defensively, aside from Wrobel and McGuire's digs, Tallo lead the front row with two blocks to go along with eight digs and three kills, while sophomore Rachel Carroll lead the back row defense with nine digs and two assists.

Beedle (five kills, one ace, eight digs and one block), Herman (three digs, one assist and two blocks (one solo)) and freshmen Alanna McCaughey (one dig) and Teresa Briefender (one block) also contributed in the game.

For the Lady Panthers, three of their players had double digit kills. Patrycja Kabala lead the way offensively with 15 kills, eight digs and two blocks. Zuzanna Michalska followed with double-double of 14 kills, 15 digs and six aces, while Maria Ustick rounded out the order with 11 kills and three blocks (two solo).

Ashlyn Banton lead the Lady Panthers in passing with a double-double of 46 assists, 10 digs and six kills, while Ana Paula Fallas Cruz lead the back row defense with 19 digs and three assists and Ellianna Sawyer lead the front row defense with six blocks.

Other Sun Lakes Scores:

St. John's River State (12-7, 2-2 Sun Lakes North) shutout Lake Sumter State (6-7, 1-3 Sun Lakes North) 3-0. The Vikings will take on Webber International University JV Tuesday night, September 19 at 6 pm. The Lakehawks will take on South Florida State (2-3, 1-3 Sun Lakes South) Tuesday night, September 19 at 6 pm.

#18 Pensacola State (16-1, 4-0 Sun Lakes North) shutout Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-8, 0-4 Sun Lakes North) 3-0. The Pirates will take on Pasco Hernando State (7-5, 3-1 Sun Lakes South) Friday night, September 22 at 6 pm, while the Blue Wave take on Santa Fe College (3-7, 0-2 Citrus) Monday night, September 18 at 6 pm.

Sun Lakes Standings:

North - 

1. #18 Pensacola State (16-1, 4-0)

2. #3 Gulf Coast State (7-2, 3-1)

3. St. John's River State (12-7, 2-2)

4.  Lake Sumter State (6-7, 1-3)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-8, 0-4)

South - 

1. SCF (7-2, 3-1)

2. Pasco Hernando State (7-5, 3-1)

3. Palm Beach State (2-10, 2-2)

4. South Florida State (2-3, 1-3)

5. St. Pete (1-5, 1-3)

Up Next:

The Manatees will continue Sun Lakes Conference play back at Hal Chasey Gymnasium for crossover play as they welcome #3 Gulf Coast State Friday night, September 22 at 5 pm and #18 Pensacola State Saturday afternoon, September 23 at 3 pm.

SCF VB Wraps Up Road Trip @ Palm Beach State

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (6-2, 2-1 Sun Lakes will be wrapping up their four-game road trip as they travel to Palm Beach to take on Palm Beach State College (1-9, 1-1 Sun Lakes South) at the Elisabeth W. Erling Gymnasium Saturday afternoon, September 16 at 3 pm.

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

North - 

1. #18 Pensacola State (15-1, 3-0)

2. #3 Gulf Coast State (6-2, 2-1)

3. St. John's River State (11-7, 1-2)

4. Lake Sumter State (6-5, 1-2)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-6, 0-2)

South - 

1. SCF (6-2, 2-1)

2. Pasco Hernando State (6-4, 2-0)

3. Palm Beach State (1-9, 1-1)

4. South Florida State (2-2, 1-2)

5. St. Pete College (1-4, 1-2)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of defeating Pasco Hernando State Wednesday night on the road by a score of 3-1. The win bumped the Manatees back up to first place in the overall standings as a result.

European Nation:

Still helping the Manatees' offense and defense is sophomore Katie Keefe and freshmen Aleksandra Wrobel, Elise Bakken and Teresa Briefeneder.

Keefe is coming off of one of her best games offensively and defensively against Pasco Hernando State as she had a season-high 13 kills, nine digs, five assists and three blocks. The Londoner currently has 51 kills, 69 digs and four blocks so far.

Like Keefe, Wrobel is also coming off of one of her best outings against Pasco Hernando State as she secured her first collegiate double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs to go along with five aces. Currently, the Pole has 51 kills, 29 digs, six aces and nine blocks.

Bakken has 129 assists, nine aces and 51 digs in her name so far. The Norwegian had 12 assists and seven digs against Pasco Hernando.

Briefeneder also had one of her best outings offensively and defensively as she had a season-high 11 kills and five blocks against Pasco Hernando. The Austrian currently has 37 kills, 16 digs and 12 blocks (two solo).

The Mighty One:

Freshman Morgan McGuire is coming off of her best outings this season after finishing with a double-double of a season-high 29 assists, 12 digs and two aces on Wednesday. McGuire currently has 108 assists, 13 aces and 69 digs this season.

Blockout:

Alongside Briefender, sophomore Shelby Pillow and freshman Kat Tallo lead the way in blocking the front row. Pillow currently has 13 kills and nine blocks in her name, while Tallo has 16 blocks (four solo), 21 kills, seven aces and 35 digs. Against Pasco Hernando, Pillow had two blocks in the match while Tallo had four blocks, one kill and five digs.

Call of the Wild:

Sophomores Bailee Perry, Kloe Pinto, Amee Beedle, Rachel Carroll and Caelan Cook and freshman Charlotte Herman lead as the wildcards on the court.

Perry currently has 27 kills, 42 digs, eight aces and nine blocks so far. She had two digs and a block in her last outing.

Pinto has been some playing time as of late after rotating between libero and defensive specialist. She currently has 19 digs, three aces and four assists in her name so far.

Beedle is coming of her best offensive outings against Pasco Hernando where she had 11 kills, seven digs, one ace and two blocks. The Wheaton, Illinois native currently has 23 kills, seven aces and 28 digs so far.

Like Pinto, Carroll rotates between defensive specialist and libero. The product of Sarasota High School had seven digs and three assists in her last outing as the starting libero. Currently, she has 34 digs, seven assists and two aces so far this season.

Cook currently has 34 kills, 23 digs and nine blocks so far this season. She is coming off having three kills, five digs and two blocks in her last game.

Herman currently has 37 kills, 18 digs and seven blocks this season. She had two kills and a block in the match against St. Pete.

Scouting Palm Beach State:

The Lady Panthers are in third place in conference behind Pasco Hernando State, but are coming off of being shutout 3-0 by #6 Richard Bland College and 3-1 to St. John's River State. Prior to playing SCF, the Lady Panthers will face St. Pete College Friday, September 15 at 6 pm at home.

Leading the Lady Panthers offense is sophomore Zuzanna Michalska. Michalska, a transfer from Spartanburg Methodist (NJCAA) leads the way with 95 kills, 12 aces and 99 digs.

Defensively, sophomore Ellianna Sawyer leads the front row with 20 blocks (two solo) and 11 kills, while freshman Ana Paula Fallas Cruz leads the back row with 84 digs.

The Manatees are 9-21 overall against the Lady Panthers.

How to Keep Up:

The match against Palm Beach State will air on SCF Facebook Page. The Manatees will also provide a possible livestream on their Facebook page. Fans can also keep up with on all other social media platforms.

Livestream Link -  https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

Social Media Links - 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

X - https://twitter.com/SCFVolleyball?s=09

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/volleyball_scf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

SCF VB Tames Pasco Hernando

New Port Richey, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (6-2, 2-1 Sun Lakes South) got back to the winning side of things as they defeated Pasco Hernando State (6-5, 2-1 Sun Lakes South) 3-1 (22-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-17) at the PHSC Gymnasium in New Port Richey.

"Overall, the team played fantastic," said head coach Lynn Burnett. We recovered from a lot of mistakes and setbacks so quickly. I told the team 'Pasco Hernando wants to win, but we want it more. We had a lot of fun, played loose and got the job done."

"The team did very well overall," said sophomore Rachel Carroll. "Everyone played together super well and as a whole we worked super hard and clicked on the court. Our fight was what helped our team remain super focused. We all knew what we wanted and that was to win. Everyone had so much hustle and put their bodies on the floor to get the ball up. We all had so much energy and kept each other hyped up."

"I'm very happy with how we performed and started doing their part while trusting each other on the court," said freshman Morgan McGuire. "There was never a dull moment and we played very clean with lots of energy and hustle. After how close we were in the first set, it drove us to come back more disciplined and wanting to win even more."

The first set was incredibly tight between both teams as they exchanged several ties and lead changes. Ultimately, the Lady Bobcats would secure the first set after taking advantage of a few attack errors from the Manatees. The Manatees were not going to let another set slip from them as they pushed themselves and secured the second set thanks to a kill by sophomore Katie Keefe.

The third set became all about the defense thanks to blocks from Keefe and freshmen Teresa Briefeneder and Kat Tallo and with a final kill by Keefe, the Manatees would take a 2-1 lead,

Heading into the final set, the Manatees kept their foot on the gas with their blocks from Briefeneder and strong back row defense from Carroll and sophomore Amee Beedle before Briefeneder sealed the deal with a final kill for a Manatee win.

Four Manatees had double digit kills on the offensive end. It was freshman Aleksandra Wrobel that would lead the way as she secured her first collegiate double-double with 14 kills, 12 digs, five aces, one assist and two blocks. Keefe, who was one dig shy of a double-double, would follow Wrobel with 13 kills, nine digs, four assists and three blocks.

Briefender and Beedle rounded out the order with a 11 and 10 kills respectively. Briefender (.833 hitting percentage) added a dig and a team-leading season-high five blocks (one solo), while Beedle added one ace, six digs and two blocks.

In setting, McGuire lead the way with one of her best outings as she finished with a double-double of 29 assists (season-high), 13 digs and two aces. Freshman Elise Bakken finished with 14 assists and five digs.

"I never toot my own horn, but I was feeling it that game," said McGuire. "Even from warming up, I knew it was going to be a good day and the I was so relaxed and had so much swag going into the game. I really trusted my hitters and they made me look so good. It was nice to finally connect defensively and move as a solid unit with the blockers and other defenders."

Defensively, apart from Wrobel and McGuire's digs, and Keefe and Briefeneder's blocks, freshman Kat Tallo added three blocks of her own to go along with two kills and a dig. Carroll finished with 10 digs and three assists from the back row.

"I felt very focused and wanted to show what I could give on the court," said Carroll. "I knew I wanted to get every ball and put in 100% effort. I felt confident with how I played in today's match and the energy and positivity on the court definitely helps."

Sophomores Bailee Perry (two digs and a block), Shelby Pillow (two blocks) and Caelan Cook (three kills, one ace, one assist, five digs and two blocks) and freshman Alanna McCaughey (three aces and one dig) also contributed in the match.

Other Sun Lakes Scores:

South Florida State (2-2, 1-2 Sun Lakes South) shutout Webber International JV (0-4) 3-0 Tuesday, September 12. The Lady Panthers will take on Pasco Hernando State Friday night, September 15 at 5 pm.

#18 Pensacola State (15-1, 3-0 Sun Lakes North) upset #3 Gulf Coast State (6-2, 2-1 Sun Lakes North) 3-0 in Panama City. The Pirates will take on Florida State College at Jacksonville Saturday afternoon, September 16 at 2 pm EDT (1 pm EDT). The Lady Commodores will take on Florida State College at Jacksonville Friday night, September 15 at 7 pm EDT (6 pm CDT).

St. John's River State (11-7, 1-2 Sun Lakes North) shutout Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-6, 0-2 Sun Lakes North) 3-0. The Vikings will take on Lake Sumter State (6-5, 1-2 Sun Lakes North) Saturday afternoon, September 16 at 1 pm.

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

North - 

1. #18 Pensacola State (15-1, 3-0)

2. #3 Gulf Coast State (6-2, 2-1)

3. St. John's River State (11-7, 1-2)

4. Lake Sumter State (6-5, 1-2)

5.  Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-6, 0-2)

South - 

1. SCF (6-2, 2-1)

2. Pasco Hernando State (6-4, 2-0)

3. Palm Beach (1-9, 1-1)

4. South Florida State (2-2, 1-2)

5. St. Pete College (1-4, 1-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees will wrap up their road trip Saturday afternoon, September 16 as they travel to Palm Beach to take on Palm Beach State at 3 pm at the Elisabeth W. Erling Gymnasium. 

SCF VB Readies for Mid-Week Conference Match @ Pasco

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (5-2, 1-1 Sun Lakes South) will look to wrap up their road trip for the next two matches of Sun Lakes Conference play. The Manatees will take a trip to New Port Richey to take on Pasco Hernando State (6-4, 2-0 Sun Lakes South) at the PHSC West Campus Gymnasium Wednesday night, September 13 at 6 pm. 

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

North - 

1. Pensacola State (14-1, 2-0)

2. #3 Gulf Coast State (6-1, 2-0)

3. Lake Sumter State (6-5, 1-2)

4. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-5, 0-1)

5. #13 St. John's River State (10-7, 0-2)

South - 

1. Pasco Hernando State (6-4, 2-0)

2. SCF (5-2, 1-1)

3. Palm Beach (1-9, 1-1)

4. South Florida State (1-2, 1-2)

5. St. Pete College (1-4, 1-2)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of splitting on their last road trip where they defeated Ave Maria University JV 3-1 in Ave Maria before falling to St. Pete College 3-0 in St. Pete. They are currently tied for second place in the standings with Palm Beach State, but are in second place overall due to their record.

Leading the way offensively is freshmen Aleksandra Wrobel and Charlotte Herman and sophomores Katie Keefe and Caelan Cook.

Although she was held to four kills against St. Pete, Wrobel currently has 37 kills in her name to go along with 17 digs and seven blocks.

Herman ties with Wrobel with 37 kills while adding 18 digs and seven blocks. She had two kills and a block in her last outing.

Keefe is third on the team with 36 kills, 60 digs and a team-leading 12 aces. The Londoner lead the way with six kills, two aces and 11 digs against St. Pete.

Cook has 31 kills, 18 digs and seven blocks in her name so far this season. She had three kills, three digs and three blocks against St. Pete.

Set Life:

In setting, freshmen Elise Bakken and Morgan McGuire continue to lead the way for passing. Bakken has 115 in her name to go along with nine aces and 44 digs, while McGuire has 79 assists, 12 aces and 56 digs. Both reached double figures in assists as they finished with 11 and 10 assists respectively against St. Pete.

Block Party:

In the front row of defense, sophomore Shelby Pillow and freshmen Kat Tallo and Teresa Briefeneder lead the way for blocking.

Pillow, who returned back from injury, has 13 kills, five digs and seven blocks in her name so far. She had four kills, four digs and four blocks against St. Pete. The native of Athens, Georgia owns sole possession of 17th all-time in total blocks in her career with 80 so far and needs nine to surpass Sara Kartalovic (88, 2015-16) for 16th all-time.

While she did not play against St. Pete, Tallo leads team in blocking with 13 total (four solo) to go along with 19 kills, seven aces and 34 digs.

Briefeneder currently has seven blocks in her name to go along with 26 kills, 15 digs and four aces. She had three kills, three digs and three blocks against St. Pete.

Wild Ride:

As for the wildcard players, sophomores Bailee Perry, Kloe Pinto, Amee Beedle and Rachel Carroll lead the path.

Perry is coming off of a two kill, six dig, two block game over St. Pete. The Sebastian native currently has 27 kills, eight aces and 40 digs in her name.

Pinto, who earned some playing time as a libero, currently has 19 digs and three aces in her name so far. The Jacksonville native had eight digs and an ace in her last outing.

Beedle currently has 13 kills, 24 digs and six aces in her name so far. She had two digs and an assist in her last matchup. Recently, Beedle is coming off of earning her 500th career dig in the NJCAA against South Florida State.

Carroll, who rotates between defensive specialist and libero, currently has 27 digs, four assists and two aces so far this season.

Scouting Pasco Hernando State:

The Lady Bobcats are currently in first place in the south division and are coming off of split from their   two-day Pasco Hernando Bobcat Invitational last week. They would defeat Andrew College (3-1) and Morton College (3-0), but would fall to #10 Richard Bland College and Kansas City Kansas CC both by a score of 3-0.

Leading the Lady Bobcats' offense is freshman Elizabeth McDonald and sophomore Kylie Ciani as they both lead with 112 and 105 kills respectively. McDonald has 48 digs, 16 aces and 12 blocks (four solo) in her name, while Ciani has 76 digs and 12 aces.

Defensively, freshman Blake Samon and sophomores Kaitlyn Klemm and Isabella Greifenstein lead the front row in blocking. Samon has 21 blocks (12 solo) to go along with 15 kills, while with 11 and 10 Klemm has 12 blocks and 16 kills and  Greifenstein has 71 kills, 15 blocks and 12 digs. In the back row, sophomore Elena Castillo-Wetzell leads the way with 97 digs and eight aces.

Overall, the Manatees are 9-29 against the Bobcats. Last season, the Manatees swept the series winning 3-1 at home and 3-2 in New Port Richey.

How to Keep Up:

The match against Pasco Hernando will air livestream on the Pasco Hernando Volleyball YouTube channel. Fans can also keep up with on all other social media platforms.

Livestream Links - 

SCF @ Pasco Hernando: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE7KijeSCJg

Social Media Links - 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

X - https://twitter.com/SCFVolleyball?s=09

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/volleyball_scf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

SCF VB Falls to St. Pete

St. Petersburg, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (5-2 1-1 Sun Lakes South) were unable to keep their winning streak moving as they fell to St. Pete College (1-4, 1-2 Sun Lakes South) 3-0 (21-25, 21-25, 20-25) at the Gibbs Campus Gymnasium. The Manatees would fall tied for second place in conference after the loss, but remain in second overall in standings.

All three sets were in tight fashion for the Manatees and they took a few leads and made rallies, but it was not enough to get past the Lady Titans to secure their second win of the season.

Sophomore Katie Keefe would lead the way offensively and defensively as she finished with six kills, 11 digs and two aces.

In setting, freshman Elise Bakken would lead the way as she finished with 11 assists and eight digs, while classmate Morgan McGuire had 10 assists and nine digs.

Defensively in the front row, sophomores Shelby Pillow and Caelan Cook and freshman Teresa Briefeneder lead the front row for blocking. Pillow finished with four blocks to go along with four kills and four digs.  Cook and Briefeneder each had three blocks and three kill apiece with Cook also adding three digs to the mix.

In back row defense, sophomore Kloe Pinto finished with eight digs, one assists and one ace.

Sophomores Bailee Perry (two kills, one ace, six digs and two blocks (one solo)), Amee Beedle (one assist) and Isabella Rebimbas (one dig) and freshmen Charlotte Herman (two kills, one dig and one block) and Aleksandra Wrobel (four kills, one ace, one dig and two blocks) also contributed in the match.

Other Sun Lakes Scores:

Pasco Hernando State (6-4, 2-0 Sun Lakes South) shutout St. Pete 3-0 on Wednesday, September 6 before splitting their hosted two-day Pasco Hernando Bobcat Tournament 2-2 defeating Andrew College and Morton College (5-7) both by a score of 3-0 and losing 3-1 to Kansas City Kansas CC (7-5) and 3-0 to #10 Richard Bland College (13-3). 

Palm Beach State (1-9, 1-1 Sun Lakes South) defeated South Florida State (1-2, 1-2 Sun Lakes South) 3-2 on Wednesday, September 6 to earn their first win of the season and in conference before falling to #10 Richard Bland College 3-0 and #13 St. John's River State 3-1 in a tri-match in Palatka. Palm Beach State will take on St. Pete Friday night, September 15 at 6 pm, while South Florida State takes on Webber International JV Tuesday night, September 12 at 6 pm.

Lake Sumter State (6-5, 1-2 Sun Lakes North) defeated Florida State College at Jacksonville 3-1 on Wednesday, September 6 before losing all four of their matches at the two-day Hillsborough CC Invitational losing 3-1 to Polk State (6-3, 1-0 Citrus) and 3-0 to #1 Florida Southwestern (12-0, 1-0 Citrus) on day one before losing 3-0 to #13 St. John's River State and #3 Gulf Coast State on day two. The Lakehawks will take on Santa Fe College (2-6, 0-1 Citrus) Thursday night, September 14 at 6 pm.

Pensacola State (14-1, 2-0 Sun Lakes North) defeated Northeast Mississippi CC 3-1 and shutout Northwest Mississippi CC 3-0 on Wednesday, September 6 before shutting out Lake Sumter State and upsetting #13 St. John's River State 3-0. The Lady Pirates will take on #3 Gulf Coast State Wednesday night, September 13 at 6 pm EDT (5 pm CDT).

Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-5, 0-1 Sun Lakes North) lost all four matches at the two-day Hillsborough CC Invitational losing 3-1 to Polk State and losing 3-0 to #1 Florida Southwestern State, #17 Daytona State (10-4, 1-1 Citrus) and host Hillsborough. The Blue Wave will take on #3 Gulf Coast State Friday night, September 15 at 7 pm EDT (6 pm CDT).

#3 Gulf Coast State (6-1, 2-0 Sun Lakes North) defeated #13 St. John's River State 3-1 on Friday, September 8 before shutting out Lake Sumter State 3-0 Saturday, September 9.

#13 St. John's River State (10-7, 0-2 Sun Lakes North) would split their hosted tri-match Sunday, September 10 losing 3-0 to #10 Richard Bland College before defeating Palm Beach State 3-1. The Vikings will take on Florida State College at Jacksonville Wednesday night, September 13 at 6 pm.

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

North - 

1. Pensacola State (14-1, 2-0)

2. #3 Gulf Coast State (6-1, 2-0)

3. Lake Sumter State (6-5, 1-2)

4. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-5, 0-1)

5. #13 St. John's River State (10-7, 0-2)

South - 

1. Pasco Hernando State (6-4, 2-0)

2. SCF (5-2, 1-1)

3. Palm Beach (1-9, 1-1)

4. South Florida State (1-2, 1-2)

5. St. Pete College (1-4, 1-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees wrap up their road trip for the next two matches as they travel to New Port Richey to take on Pasco Hernando State Wednesday night, September 13 at 6 pm before facing Palm Beach State College Saturday afternoon, September 16 at 3 pm.

SCF VB Takes Down Ave Maria

Ave Maria, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (5-1, 1-0 Sun Lakes South) were put on a brief swivel for non-conference play as they defeated Ave Maria University JV (0-1) 3-1 (25-8, 18-25, 25-18, 25-16) in Ave Maria. With the win, the Manatees are now 6-0 against the Gyrenes.

"The goal, even with a big confidence boost, was to give the girls an opportunity to run a 5-1 with each of our setters," said head coach Lynn Burnett. "I also wanted to give our starters a breather and rest up before our match with St. Pete. While there were some messy parts, overall the match went well. There are some spots we will work on from our attacking, but it was a good lesson for them to know that not all match are going to be easy."

"I think the team had our ups and down today," said sophomore Kloe Pinto. "Nevertheless, I'm super proud of everyone and how we bounced back so quickly because we were trying new things and adjusting to different plays and tempos. I think we did a great job keeping an open mind and trusting the process."

"Overall, despite us scrambling a lot and not playing the best, mainly in the second set while trying new lineups out, we got it together and brought home a win in four sets," said sophomore Caelan Cook. "Overall, we perceived and came together as a team and played as one."

The first set was all Manatees with a few modifications in the lineup as Pinto would earn the start as the libero. After some key kills from sophomore Shelby Pillow and freshman Charlotte Herman to push the Manatees, sophomore Amee Beedle would seal the first set with a kill.

In the second set, the Gyrenes would be the ones taking over despite a late rally by the Manatees. A final kill would tie the match a one apiece.

Heading into the third, the score would be in reverse as Cook would seal the third set with a kill to give the Manatees the lead.

In the fourth and final set, the Manatees did not want to let their focus go off the court as they managed to push for the win as Beedle sealed the deal with a final block for the win on the road.

Beedle and sophomore Isabella Rebimbas would be the leaders offensively as they finished with a season-high nine kills each. Beedle added 10 digs, one block and one ace, while Rebimbas added three digs.

Pillow, Herman and Cook would follow with seven kills each, while freshman Teresa Briefender rounded out the order with five kills. Pillow added two blocks (one solo), while Herman added an ace, two digs and one block, Cook added an ace and six digs and Briefeneder added an assist, two aces and a dig.

"I felt good being on the court," said Cook. "It was definitely a different feeling playing all the way around and with different people on the court. Nevertheless, I felt really good overall and it felt good to be playing outside and back row."

From the setting side, freshman Elise Bakken would lead the way with 20 assists, nine digs and a kill, while classmate Morgan McGuire secured her first collegiate double-double in assists and digs as she finished with 15 assists, 10 digs and one ace.

Defensively, apart from Beedle's double digit digs, Pinto lead the back row with six digs, two assists and two aces.

"I felt good out there today," said Pinto. "Not only did the energy from the court help me succeed, but also the huge amounts of support from my teammates helped too. I'm so happy I got the opportunity to play the sport that I love and I hope I get to do it again."

Sophomore Rachel Carroll (three digs) and freshmen Alanna McCaughey (one kill and one assist) and Katrina Tallo (two kills, four assists, one ace, six digs and two blocks) also contributed in the match.

Sun Lakes Standings:

North - 

1. Pensacola (9-1)

2. #3 Gulf Coast State (4-1)

3. #14 St. John's River State (7-4)

4. Lake Sumter State (5-3)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-0)

South - 

1. SCF (5-1, 1-0)

2. Pasco Hernando (3-2, 1-0)

3. South Florida State (1-1, 1-1)

4. St. Pete (0-3, 0-1)

5. Palm Beach State (0-7, 0-1)

Upcoming Sun Lakes Matchups:

9/5/23 - 

North Division

#14 St. John's River State vs Trinity Baptist College @ 2 pm

#14 St. John's River State vs Webber International @ 6 pm

Pensacola State vs Pearl River CC @ 5 pm

9/6/23 - 

North Division

Pensacola State vs Northeast Mississippi CC @ 3 pm

Pensacola State vs Northwest Mississippi CC @ 5 pm

Florida State College at Jacksonville vs Lake Sumter State @ 6 pm

South Division

Palm Beach State vs South Florida State @ 6 pm

St. Pete College vs Pasco Hernando State @ 6 pm

9/8/23 - 

North Division

Florida State College at Jacksonville vs Polk State @ 1:30 pm

Lake Sumter State vs Pensacola State @ 6 pm

Florida State College at Jacksonville vs #1 Florida Southwestern (NJCAA DI) @ 6:30 pm

#14 St. John's River State vs #3 Gulf Coast State @7 pm

South Division

Pasco Hernando State vs Andrew College @ 1 pm

9/9/23 -

North Division

Florida State College at Jacksonville vs #15 Daytona State College (NJCAA DI) @ 10 am

#14 St. John's River State vs Pensacola State @ 2 pm

Lake Sumter State vs #3 Gulf Coast State @ 2 pm

Florida State College at Jacksonville vs Hillsborough @ 3 pm

South Division

Pasco Hernando State vs Kansas City Kansas CC @ 12 pm

Pasco Hernando State vs Morton College @ 2 pm

9/10/23 - 

North Division

#14 St. John's River State vs #6 Richard Bland College @ 10 am

South Division

Palm Beach State vs #6 Richard Bland College @ 12 pm

Crossover

#14 St. John's River State vs Palm Beach State @ 2 pm

Up Next:

The Manatees head back on the road for their matchup with St. Pete College (0-3, 0-1 Sun Lakes South) Saturday afternoon, September 9 at 1 pm. This match is a makeup from August 30.

SCF VB Sweeps South Florida in Conference Opener

Bradenton, Fla - After an hour delay due to scheduling issues with officials, the SCF volleyball team (4-1, 1-0 Sun Lakes South) continued their ways on the right path as they swept South Florida State (1-1, 1-1 Sun Lakes South) 3-0 (25-9, 25-15, 25-16) in their home opener and conference opener at Hal Chasey Gymnasium.

"It was a definite adrenaline of spikes and releases," said head coach Lynn Burnett. "There were parts where we felt like we not going to be able to play and then did get to play and that was a whole lot to think about and take in. All in all, it was a really good experience because it gave the girls a required opportunity to refocus on what our goal was coming out there today and then grind it out, even with the distractions in the way. They came with a purpose and a message to send loud and clear to everyone."

"I think that our team really showed up and played really well," said sophomore Katie Keefe. "There's always going to be barriers when we play, but we stayed strong with resilience and didn't let any drama get to us. I'm happy with how everyone played and while South Florida State was good, we were able to shut them down."

"I thought the team played great," said freshman Katrina Tallo. "We came out strong and guns blazing from hitting to serving to passing. It all combined to get us this fired up win today."

"I think we did a good job with winning in three sets," said freshman Aleksandra Wrobel. "Our serving was really consistent with a lot of aces and minimized attack errors. It was really nice to play in front of our home fans, even with some issues earlier before the match. Moving forward, we need to remain focused, be consistent and keep doing well on serve receive."

The first set was all Manatees offensively as Keefe and Tallo kept the pace going on serving with four aces combined to go with kills from Keefe and Wrobel. The Manatees would take the first set after freshman Teresa Briefeneder sealed it with a kill.

The second set still remained in Manatees favor after putting sophomore Amee Beedle came in for some serving action. While the Lady Panthers tried to put some points on the board, but a final kill from sophomore Caelan Cook would give the Manatees the second set

In the third final set, the Manatees got off to a shaky start being down 3-0 until a Wrobel kill put them on the board. The Lady Panthers continued to keep the lead, even with the Manatees tying the set a couple of times. With the Lady Panthers up 10-7, the Manatees rallied together and were able to push themselves and take the lead before sophomore Shelby Pillow, who made her season debut, sealed the deal with a final kill for the win.

Keefe and Wrobel would lead the way offensively for the Manatees as they each had 10 kills. Keefe would secure her first collegiate double-double with 10 digs and four aces, while Wrobel had added two digs of her own.

"I felt good today," said Keefe. "It's a tough transition doing indoor volleyball in contrast to beach volleyball with a lot of work on the shoulder. It's really nice to have such a supportive team together with us gelling really well the last three weeks. Now with the improvements we've made,  we're performing how we wanted to perform."

"I was able to take advantage of their attacks and tool the block for a lot of points," said Wrobel. "The advice from the sideline really helped me find the the seams between the block and the defenders

In setting, the freshmen duo of Elise Bakken and Morgan McGuire lead the way. Bakken finished with 17 assists, five digs and three aces, while McGuire, who was one dig shy of a double-double finished with 11 assists, nine digs and two aces.

Apart from Keefe's four aces, Tallo also played a strong game on serving as she finished with four aces, one kill, four assists, three digs and one block.

"I felt great out there," said Tallo. "I'm glad I got to play with these girls on this new stage for an opportunity like this."

Pillow (two kills and one block), Beedle (two kills, one ace and five digs), Briefender (four kills, four digs and one block), sophomores Bailee Perry (three kills, two aces, one assist and five digs), Rachel Carroll (two assists and two digs) and Caelan Cook (five kills, one dig and two blocks) and freshman Alanna McCaughey (one ace) also contributed in the match.

Notes:

• The win at home was the first time since 2016 that the Manatees won their home opener.

Other Sun Lakes Scores:

Pasco Hernando State (3-2, 1-0 Sun Lakes South) shutout Palm Beach State (0-7, 0-1 Sun Lakes South) 3-0. The Bobcats will take on St. Pete (0-3, 0-1 Sun Lakes South) Wednesday night, September 6 at 6 pm. The Panthers will take on South Florida State Wednesday night, September 6 at 6 pm.

#14 St. John's River State (7-4) split the final day of the Owens CC Tournament in Perrysburg, Ohio losing the first match 3-0 to Vincennes University (8-1) before shutting out College of Lake County (3-6) 3-0. The Vikings would finish the tournament 3-1 and will host a tri-match at home against Trinity Baptist College (0-6) and Webber International JV (0-1) Tuesday afternoon, September 5 at 2 and 6 pm.

Pensacola State (9-1) shutout Snead State CC (8-5) 3-0 on day two of the Pensacola State Invitational. The Pirates will take on Pearl River CC (8-5) Tuesday night, September 5 at 5 pm (4 pm CDT).

Sun Lakes Standings:

North - 

1. Pensacola State (9-1)

2. #3 Gulf Coast State (4-1)

3. Lake Sumter State (5-3)

4. #14 St. John's River State (7-4)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-0)

South - 

1. SCF (4-1, 1-0)

2. Pasco Hernando State (3-2, 1-0)

3. South Florida State College (1-1, 1-1)

4. St. Pete (0-3, 0-1)

5. Palm Beach State (0-7, 0-1)

Up Next:

The Manatees head back on the road for the next four matches as they will face Ave Maria University JV (September 4 at 12 pm), St. Pete (September 9 at 1 pm), Pasco Hernando State (September 13 at 6 pm) and Palm Beach State (September 16 at 3 pm).