SAINT LEO, Fla. – A setter is often compared an orchestra conductor as they are required to set the tempo, communicate with their team, and guide them all in hopes of the result of a beautiful performance.

On Tuesday evening, junior Maddy Powell conducted a symphony as the Saint Leo women's volleyball team took down No. 24 Florida Southern, 3-0; 26-24, 25-19, 25-21, in one of the top offensive performances for the Lions this season.

"This was our best match of the year regarding 'side-out' volleyball and sticking to our game plan," Head Coach Sam Cibrone said of his team's showing. "We wanted to serve tough, we wanted to get a lot of kills, and I thought we did those things very well. Maddy Powell played great. She jump set, held Florida Southern's middles, got kills of her own, played defense. That was her best performance this year, and we need her to play like that to win these tough matches. I am very proud of her."

With Powell running the offense, Saint Leo hit .291 as a team, putting down 47 kills in three sets, including an impressive 19 kills on a .366-clip in the final set. This marks the highest team hitting percentage the Lions have had in a match that Powell has started.

Powell dished out 29 assists and scooped up 13 assists, both match-highs. She also added eight kills on a clip of .467, adding two blocks, including a solo.

The duo of outsides in Hope Lemon and Britt Sederholm combined for 26 kills and only committed five hitting errors. Lemon put down a match-best 13 kills on a clip of .423 while adding six digs and two blocks. Sederholm tallied 11 kills, adding eight digs and three blocks, including a timely solo block.

The rest of the Lions offense saw Victoria Omoregie add eight kills on .312-hitting percentage, while Katie Adamson added four kills. Annabella Arcari added two kills and score points defensively with four blocks.

Jamee Townsend and Jenya Kruglova each scooped up 12 digs.

"This is a huge win for us as the second half of conference play doesn't get any easier," said Cibrone. "We've played the two of the top teams already for the second time in Florida Southern and Tampa, and we were able to get wins over them here at home. It is a huge momentum builder heading into a road weekend. I am very happy with how the team played, and we are blessed to get the win."

Saint Leo is now 14-8 and 7-2 in the Sunshine State Conference. With the win over FSC and a loss by Eckerd, the Lions now sit atop the SSC Standing alone. They hit the road to take on Embry-Riddle at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, and then they play at Rollins on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo volleyball be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.