LAKELAND, Fla. -- Barry University fell to Florida Southern, 25-21, 25-21, 25-16, in a Sunshine State Conference volleyball match Saturday.
The Buccaneers (5-8, 1-5 SSC) lost for the sixth time in seven matches, all in three sets. The Bucs, who used eight players with two years or less of college experience and all 10 who haven't completed two full years at Barry, are in the third year under coach Steve Hendricks.
Barry tied the opening set at 12-12 on a kill by Tashalyn Begon, but an ace by Gabby Fernandez gave the Moccasins (13-5, 5-1) a thre-point lead five serves later. Bucs freshman middle blocker Ivana Didanovic's kill on one of Jenny Trinidad's 21 assists kept Barry within three, 20-17. But Fernandez put down two balls in between a kill by Begon to give Florida Southern the first set victory.
In the middle set, the Buccaneers battled back from a five-point deficit to draw within 16-13 on a kill by Begon and setting error by FSC's Kendall Marotti. Back-to-back hitting errors by the Bucs widened the Mocs' lead to seven, 20-13, before Barry sophomore Laine Cielena's kill terminated FSC's four-point run.
Trinidad had one of her six kills on a setup from Ashley Carrero to draw the Bucs back within three late, 23-20, but a Barry service error and attack error found bookends around Jayla Trombley's kill to give Florida Southern a 2-0 lead in the match.
Barry fell behind 11-4 in the third set only to draw within 17-12 on Cielena's ace. The Mocs won the next five points, the last of that spurt a combination block by Jessica Sullivan and Rachel Mostert to go up 22-12. Barry's Katie Dooley and Trinidad answered with a block one serve later to start a three-point Bucs' swing that also included a kill by Carrero and an ace by Trinidad. But only Dooley's kill over the final four serves produced offense for Barry.
Trinidad hit .455, and had two block assists. Cielena had five kills and three blocks. Trombley had six kills, and Begon five.
The Buccaneers will compete in the four-match South Region Crossover next weekend at West Florida, beginning with Friday's 10:30 a.m. match against Christian Brothers.