MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- It looked so right for the first part of the night. Everything was clicking. Smiles were abound on the Bucs' bench.
Then something changed.
Florida Tech reappeared, momentum shifted and Barry failed to recover. It was the ultimate surprise turn-of-events in a match Barry certainly would like to take back. The Buccaneers won't get that chance after losing to Florida Tech, 14-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-19 Friday night at Health & Sports Center.
Oh, how a do-over would be nice. Instead, the Bucs (7-5, 2-2 Sunshine State Conference) have to wipe this one clean and regroup for Rollins College, which visits Miami Shores at 4 p.m. Saturday in the third of four straight home matches over a week's time for Barry.
The Buccaneers played possessed in the first set, putting away 14 balls and hitting .433 -- the majority of the kills, requiring just one pass over the net before Barry terminated time and again. Florida Tech (9-4, 1-2 SSC) had nine errors compared to the Bucs' one in the opening set. The Panthers hit .100.
But the tide quickly changed in the second set as Barry fell behind 9-1, only to draw within, 15-11. Tania Torres' kill and a Panthers error kept the Buccaneers within four. But FIT secured the next four points to go ahead, 23-18, before eventually knotting the match at 1-1.
Following the eight-minute intermission, Barry got out to a 14-11 lead following a kill by Torres and attack error on the Panthers' part. But Florida Tech went on a 10-0 run to take a 21-14 lead. Mima Hajdukovic's kill salvaged some late-match life when the Buccaneers found themselves in a 22-16 deficit. But it was a little too late.
Hajdukovic, Ashley Carrero and a Panthers' hitting error staked Barry, which attacked at a .109 percentage on the night , to a 10-9 lead in the final set. Laine Cielena's kill kept the Bucs within three, 18-15. Hajdukovic served up a point to pull Barry within 20-18. But Tech wrapped up the win, claiming five of the last six points.
Torres had eight kills, four blocks, all four of Barry's aces, but attacked below her .204 season average. Carrero had nine kills and hit .258 in the match. Hajdukovic had seven kills, 26 assists, four blocks and four digs. Jasmine Serna had 15 digs, and Cielena had five kills, two blocks, two digs and registered a .444 attack clip. Jayla Trombley had three kills, four digs and two blocks, including an "all-by-myself" solo stuff that resonated at that time during the match.
Caitlyn Ballweber had 16 kills on a .520 attack percentage effort, and Kim Juriga had 12 kills for the Panthers.
Barry outblocked Florida Tech, 12-7. The Buccaneers were victimized by seven aces by FIT.