LAKELAND, Fla. – The Saint Leo University volleyball team built leads over Florida Southern Thursday night, but maintaining them proved too tall a task for the Lions, as the Green & Gold were bested by the Mocs in four sets at the Jenkins Fieldhouse.
 
Redshirt Senior Elizabeth Sandoval led the Lions with 13 kills and five blocks.  Senior Ally-Reese Williams nearly recorded a double-double with nine kills and 14 digs, while Junior Jeanette Henderson set a career-high 34 digs on the night.
 
Saint Leo (9-13, 2-9 SSC) began the match with a 4-1 lead before Florida Southern (12-8, 5-5 SSC) quickly tied the score.  Even in the deadlocked contest, the Lions managed to stay ahead as long as an 18-16 lead before a four-point swing gave the Red & Blue the advantage.  The Lions tied the frame 23-23 before the Mocs took the final two points to win Set One 25-23.
 
The Lions had an even bigger start in Set Two, establishing a strong 10-2 lead before Florida Southern crawled its way back into the frame, including two, five-point runs late in the set that fueled a comeback that ultimately gave FSC a two-set lead with the 25-22 win.
 
FSC appeared to be on track to sweep the Lions once more with an 21-14 lead before five, unanswered points by the Green & Gold ignited a comeback for the ages.  Even with a match point (24-22) within reach of the Mocs, Saint Leo strung together four points to steal Set Three 26-22.
 
The fourth set was déjà vu for the Lions, trailing 16-10 before battling back to even the score 20-20.  After both teams exchanged a point, Florida Southern dashed Saint Leo's hopes of a match comeback, scoring the final four points to secure a 25-21 win and the series sweep over the Green & Gold.
 
Lions by the Numbers
1:        Sets won
2:        5+ point runs
4:        Team aces
8:        Lions registering points
9:        Team blocks  
11:      Games where Saint Leo outkills opponent
 
Saint Leo is back on the court Tuesday, as the Lions will have the weekend to prepare for Florida Tech; first set at the Marion Bowman Activities Center is set for 7 p.m.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on Saint Leo Volleyball, 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.