LAKELAND, Fla. -- Barry volleyball dropped a 25-22, 21-25, 26-24, 25-12 Sunshine State Conference match to host Florida Southern Saturday.
The Buccaneers (6-4, 1-1 SSC) had won three straight prior to falling in its first league contest this year.
Barry pushed the Mocs (10-4, 2-0) to the brink through three sets, taking a 23-21 lead in the third set when Mariana Lisboa pounded a kill. But Florida Southern ripped off the next three points to go ahead 24-23 before eventually holding on to win the pivotal third set.
Barry won the second set, racing out to a 15-10 lead that FSC nearly recovered from. The Mocs drew within 19-18 on a Buccaneers service error. Lisboa's ace pushed Barry ahead 21-18. Lisboa pounded a kill to keep the Bucs lead at 3, 24-21, and Torres and Rosie Johnston combined on a block to tie the match at a set apiece.
But a fourth set got away from Barry in a hurry, and Florida Southern wrapped up an otherwise competitive back-and-forth grudge match.
Torres had 14 kills, 12 digs and three assists. Lisboa had 12 kills and 13 digs. Senior setter Mima Hajdukovic had 31 assists. She now ranks 10th all-time in Barry history with 1,062 assists. Hajdukovic sits 268 assists behind Marya Morusiewicz, whose 1,330 assists in 406 sets from 1992-95 rank ninth in Buccaneer history.
Barry had 42 kills in 140 attempts, and Florida Southern pounded 57 kills in 157 attempts. Barry's .129 hitting percentage was .107 lower than FSC's .236.
Carrero had eight kills and eight digs. Johnston and Laine Cielena each had two of Barry's total four blocks. FSC had six blocks, and dug 56 balls. Barry was credited with 38 digs.
The Bucs will host rival Lynn at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Health & Sports Center.