SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Fairmont State University volleyball team battled Florida Southern College in its second match of the day. Florida Southern edged Fairmont State University in a dramatic five-set match on Friday at Bill Greehey Arena, prevailing 19-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-10.
Fairmont State secured a 25-19 victory over Florida Southern in the opening set, showcasing strategic play and effective blocking. The Falcons gained momentum early with a series of attack errors from the Mocs, extending their lead to 8-3.
Josie Nobbe led the charge with multiple kills, assisted by
Kelsie Dangerfield, helping Fairmont State maintain their advantage. Fla. Southern attempted a comeback with a service ace by Tori Borton, closing the gap to 21-17, but
McKenzi Martin's decisive kill and a subsequent service error from Florida Southern sealed the set for the Falcons.
The Falcons started strong in the second set against the Mocs, with
Josie Skinn securing the first point with a kill. The teams exchanged points early, with Fairmont State maintaining an edge thanks to key plays from Nobbe and
Cayden Anschutz. Florida Southern responded with effective kills from Lindsay Piktel and Whitney Mall, but Fairmont State's balanced attack, led by Martin and
Alexa Martin, kept them in the lead. As the set progressed, the Falcons capitalized on the Mocs' errors and built a decisive lead, sealing the set with a 25-18 victory after a kill by Nobbe, assisted by Dangerfield, and an attack error by Mall.
Fairmont State opened the third set with a strong 5-0 run, highlighted by Nobbe's initial kill and multiple attack errors forced on Florida Southern. The Mocs responded with a streak of their own, tying the game at 6-6 through Piktel's kill and Bali Coles' service ace. A back-and-forth battle ensued, with the Falcons pulling ahead again at 18-13, thanks in part to
Joey Borelle's three consecutive kills. However, Florida Southern mounted a late comeback, tying the score at 20-20 before eventually clinching the set 25-23, aided by Coles' decisive final kill.
Fairmont State started the fourth set with a strong 4-0 run, featuring kills from
Natalie Zemba and Nobbe and capitalizing on a block error by Layla Visser. However, the Mocs responded with a surge, tying the score at 8-8, propelled by consecutive kills from Morgan Word and a service ace from Nako Sasaki. Despite a brief rally by Fairmont State, led by Martin's three consecutive kills, Florida Southern regained control with a decisive 5-0 run late in the set, including two critical kills by Coles. The Mocs clinched the set 25-21, with Coles securing the final two points to cap off the comeback.
In the decisive fifth set, the Mocs surged ahead with an early display of offensive strength, capitalizing on Fairmont State's missteps. Nobbe opened the scoring for the Falcons with a kill from Dangerfield, but Florida Southern quickly responded with Coles and Piktel contributing key kills to keep the score tight. Despite some errors from the Mocs, including a service error at 4-4, Fairmont State struggled to maintain momentum, as multiple attack errors allowed Florida Southern to pull away with a series of points, expanding their lead to 14-9. Brielle Mullen's consistent setting played a pivotal role, assisting on several crucial kills that helped the Mocs ultimately secure a 15-10 victory in the final set.
Dangerfield contributed significantly with 20 digs and 26 assists in the match. Skinn recorded a team-high 27 digs and added 13 assists. Nobbe led the Falcons in points, finishing with 17.5, while also tallying 16 kills. Martin posted an impressive 23.5 points, registering 18 kills and adding five blocks.
Fairmont State (5-2) will face Texas A&M International on Saturday, September 13 to open day two of the Rattler Invitational. Start time is set for 2:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. CST.
