HOOVER, Ala. – The Saint Leo volleyball team closed out the 2019 NCAA South Region Crossover with a perfect 3-0 record after taking down Gulf South Conference member Mississippi College 3-1 Saturday afternoon. Senior Victoria Omoregie and junior Michelle Cuervo led the way for the Lions as they each hit double-figures in kills against the Choctaws.
 
The Lions improved to 15-5 on the year while the Choctaws dropped to 7-16.
 
The victory marked the fourth-straight for the Lions and Saint Leo held its opponent to below a .100 hitting percentage for the third-straight match. The Lions posted a .170 hitting percentage while the Choctaws came in at .084.
 
Omoregie finished with a team-best 11 kills while posting four blocks. Cuervo finished with 10 kills while playing in just three of the four sets. Senior Annabella Arcari came up just short of double-digits with nine kills and three blocks.
 
Senior Anilise Fitzi led the team in blocks with five while also posting five kills. Redshirt junior Anna Garrett dished out 35 assists in the victory while picking up nine digs. Sophomore libero Payton Bellano was the lone Lion with double-digit digs as she finished with 13.
 
Saint Leo took the opening set 25-22 after posting a 6-1 run late in the set to secure the victory. The Lions trailed 21-19 when they opened their 601 run which featured two kills from Omoregie and a block by Omoregie and Arcari. The second set had to go into extra points as the Lions found themselves down 22-19 late in the period. A 5-0 run by the Lions made it 24-22 but the Choctaws fought back to force extras. The Lions picked up a block by Fitzi and senior Nina Vattovaz followed by a dump kill by Garrett to secure a 26-24 victory.  
 
The third set went down to the wire as well. The Lions and Choctaws were tied 23-23 when Mississippi College took the set off a service error and a kill, 25-23. The fourth and final set featured another late run by the Lions. With the score knotted at 18, the Lions rattled off five-straight points to pull away. A kill by junior Ashley Quero eventually ended the set and match at 25-21.
 
Saint Leo will not have much time to rest or celebrate as they host the Sunshine State Conference leader Tampa on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Lions defeated the Spartans earlier this season in Tampa 3-1 when the Spartans were ranked 13^th in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on 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.