The first set was a result of brief miscommunication and limited time to warmup for the Manatees as the Lady Panthers took the set.

 

"After that set, I told them that not to worry about the score and just started working together as a team," said Burnett on the first set.

 

Burnett's words resined through and would wake the Manatees up heading into the second set with a fighting hunger as sophomores Katie Keefe and Caelan Cook and freshman Aleksandra Wrobel would get crucial kills that help the Manatees push to tie the set at 24 apiece. With serve possession belonging to the Manatees, Cook would put them up with an ace before sophomore Amee Beedle sealed the second set with a kill to the right front corner to tie the match 1-1.

 

Heading into the third set, the Lady Panthers looked as they were regaining the momentum to take the third set with a 24-19 lead and set point on the line. While the Manatees ran out of substitutions, Burnett would bring in Rebimbas and freshman Charlotte Herman to sub in and it became the crucial turning point for the Manatees as they would score four straight points thanks to a kill by Wrobel, a Lady Panther attack error, an ace by Cook and a double block by Herman and freshman Kat Tallo to bring the score to 24-23 before a timeout was called.

 

After the time out, the Manatees would tie the game at 24 apiece after a Lady Panther attack error before it became neck and neck for the next few points with a key double block by Rebimbas and Tallo and a solo block by Herman being big parts of the momentum for the Manatees. With the set tied 27 apiece and the Lady Panthers with possession of serve, the Manatees would be the victor of the third set thanks to a kill by Rebimbas and a ball handling error from the Lady Panthers.

 

Heading into the fourth and final set, the Manatees were faced with a challenge to take it while being down briefly, but kills by Rebimbas and Pillow and an ace by Beedle would give the Manatees a three point lead before Pillow put them up by five after back-to-back kills. After the Lady Panthers earned a couple of points off of two errors, the Manatees would seal the deal off of a Lady Panther free ball attempt to no avail for the win.

 

Wrobel would be the offensive leader as she secured her second straight double-double with 10 kills, 10 digs, one ace, two assists and a block. Cook would follow with eight kills of her own to go along with three aces and eight digs, while Pillow rounded out the order with seven kills, one dig and one solo block.

 

"I felt pretty good overall playing," said Pillow. "I knew my team had my back when we decided it was time to start including the middles into scoring points offensively. Palm Beach had great coverage and it was hard not being able to score many points on the blocking side of things, but I'm glad I could be of use offensively."

 

Keefe would finish with six kills and three digs, while Rebimbas added five kills and two digs in two sets.

 

In setting, freshman Morgan McGuire lead the way with her second straight double-double of 21 assists, 10 digs and one kill, while classmate Elise Bakken finished with 16 assists, seven digs and one ace.

 

Defensively, aside from Wrobel and McGuire's digs, Tallo lead the front row with two blocks to go along with eight digs and three kills, while sophomore Rachel Carroll lead the back row defense with nine digs and two assists.

 

Beedle (five kills, one ace, eight digs and one block), Herman (three digs, one assist and two blocks (one solo)) and freshmen Alanna McCaughey (one dig) and Teresa Briefender (one block) also contributed in the game.

 

For the Lady Panthers, three of their players had double digit kills. Patrycja Kabala lead the way offensively with 15 kills, eight digs and two blocks. Zuzanna Michalska followed with double-double of 14 kills, 15 digs and six aces, while Maria Ustick rounded out the order with 11 kills and three blocks (two solo).

 

Ashlyn Banton lead the Lady Panthers in passing with a double-double of 46 assists, 10 digs and six kills, while Ana Paula Fallas Cruz lead the back row defense with 19 digs and three assists and Ellianna Sawyer lead the front row defense with six blocks.

 

Other Sun Lakes Scores:

St. John's River State (12-7, 2-2 Sun Lakes North) shutout Lake Sumter State (6-7, 1-3 Sun Lakes North) 3-0. The Vikings will take on Webber International University JV Tuesday night, September 19 at 6 pm. The Lakehawks will take on South Florida State (2-3, 1-3 Sun Lakes South) Tuesday night, September 19 at 6 pm.

 

#18 Pensacola State (16-1, 4-0 Sun Lakes North) shutout Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-8, 0-4 Sun Lakes North) 3-0. The Pirates will take on Pasco Hernando State (7-5, 3-1 Sun Lakes South) Friday night, September 22 at 6 pm, while the Blue Wave take on Santa Fe College (3-7, 0-2 Citrus) Monday night, September 18 at 6 pm.

 

Sun Lakes Standings:

North - 

1. #18 Pensacola State (16-1, 4-0)

2. #3 Gulf Coast State (7-2, 3-1)

3. St. John's River State (12-7, 2-2)

4.  Lake Sumter State (6-7, 1-3)

5. Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-8, 0-4)

 

South - 

1. SCF (7-2, 3-1)

2. Pasco Hernando State (7-5, 3-1)

3. Palm Beach State (2-10, 2-2)

4. South Florida State (2-3, 1-3)

5. St. Pete (1-5, 1-3)

 

Up Next:

The Manatees will continue Sun Lakes Conference play back at Hal Chasey Gymnasium for crossover play as they welcome #3 Gulf Coast State Friday night, September 22 at 5 pm and #18 Pensacola State Saturday afternoon, September 23 at 3 pm.