SAINT LEO, Fla. – Behind an outside hitting onslaught from Hope Lemon and Tawni Warren, the Saint Leo University volleyball team trumped Florida Tech 3-1 on Friday evening to open up Sunshine State Conference play.
With the win the Lions advance to 6-2 on the season with a 1-0 tally in SSC play while the Panthers dip to 5-4 with a 0-1 mark in conference matchups.
Sophomore Lemon blasted 18 kills across the match as the 12th ranked player in service aces per set did not disappoint, notching three aces in the win. Senior Warren hit a barrage of 15 kills at a .353 clip to round out the offense.
Libero Yaidimar Santiago limited the Panthers to a .136 team hitting percentage with 27 digs while setter Rachel Olliff posted 11. Senior Olliff tallied a double-double with 34 assists to compliment her defensive prowess. Freshman Naomi Mack posted five blocks in her first collegiate start as the team limited FIT to a .033 attack percentage.
The Green and Gold took the first set by a 25-22 final score. Lemon swung a perfect 5-for-5 in the premier stanza while Warren mirrored with five kills to her credit at a scorching .625 attack percentage.
The Panthers took the second frame 25-19 despite another five kills from Lemon. Panthers' Kim Juriga grounded four kills to lead FIT to a bounce-back second set.
The Lions rebounded as defensive whiz Santiago picked up 11 digs while freshman Mack blocked three FIT attacks. The duo limited the Panthers to a meager .000 team attack clip to win by a 25-21.
Saint Leo took a decisive fourth set by a 25-14 score with the combined effort of Warren and Alexa Griffith-Hardy. The tandem notched three kills each while Santiago finished her defensive showing with nine digs in the final set.
The Lions continue conference play with a home match against the Fighting Knights of Lynn University. The Saturday matinee is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start time at the Marion Bowman Activities Center. Live stats as well as a live video webcast will be made available through www.saintleolions.com.
For more on the Saint Leo women's volleyball team, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Also, be sure to 'Like' the Lions on Facebook and 'Follow' Saint Leo Athletics on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
