MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Saint Leo volleyball team overcame a slow start to top the Panthers of Florida Tech on the road Saturday afternoon, 3-1. Junior Ashley Quero, who registered just five kills in the Lions loss at Embry-Riddle, exploded for a season-high 19 kills to lead the Lions offense.
 
Quero had just a single hitting error and finished with an impressive .450 hitting percentage. She also posted 11 digs, two blocks and a trio of assists. Senior Anilise Fitzi chipped in 15 kills while committing zero errors. The Walton, New Zealand native posted a .556 hitting percentage in the match.  Fitzi also led the team with four blocks while posting six digs and a service ace.
 
The Lions improved to 12-5 with the victory including 6-3 in Sunshine State Conference play. The Panthers dropped to 2-14 in 2019 and 1-7 in league play.
 
The final Lion in double-figures was senior Victoria Omoregie who had 12 kills, five digs and three blocks. Redshirt junior setter Anna Garrett dished out 52 assists in just four sets while digging up nine balls and posting three blocks. Sophomore libero Payton Bellano led the team in digs with 24 as she and Quero were the only two Lions to register double-digits.
 
Saint Leo hit .306 as a team Saturday including .417 in the final set. The Lions dropped the opening set 25-20 before sweeping the final three 25-16, 25-14 and 25-21.
 
The Panthers were led by Audrey Keenan who had 11 kills while Jocelyn Garcia and Elena Ciulli each had 10 kills.   
 
Saint Leo will return to action Friday, Oct. 18 as they open up NCAA South Region Crossover play. The schedule will be announced early this week so stay tuned to SaintLeoLions.com.
 
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.