PHCC volleyball team is enjoying a fast start

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Pasco-Hernando Community College volleyball coach Sam Cibrone is banking on balance and depth to help the Conquistadors break into the top 10 in the national tournament.

Those factors, as well as an immediate impact from two freshman starters, have keyed PHCC's 5-1 start.

Despite finishing fourth in the Hillsborough tourney (PHCC was the runner-up last year), Cibrone said he's "not disappointed" in the team that includes eight returners.

"I got a lot of people playing time, and everybody stepped up," Cibrone said. "The great thing is, we don't have one or two kids carrying it."

As freshmen last season, Erin Stoen, Quinn Davidson and Nicole Cattrysse carried PHCC to its 11th consecutive Suncoast Conference title. While that trio -- along with sophomore Brandy Krieg (Ridgewood) -- remains productive, the Conquistadors are getting additional help from freshmen Alicia Willemet and Natalie Crawford.

Willemet, a setter, has 98 assists, 10 aces and a .406 hitting percentage. Crawford, a middle hitter, has 10 blocks and 11 aces.

Stoen, last year's team leader in kills and blocks, again is tops with 46 kills and 11 blocks. The middle hitter has a team-high 13 aces.

PERFECT 5: Saint Leo's volleyball squad is one-third of the way toward last year's win total.

In the first week, the Lions won five games, including a 4-0 run in the Alabama-Huntsville Classic. No championship was played in that Friday-Saturday series.

Sunday's 30-22, 30-17, 26-30, 30-25 victory over Valdosta State concluded the winning weekend.

Senior middle hitter Tina Florea has picked up where she left off last season. The All-Sunshine State Conference player led the Lions in kills in each game. In the opener against Alabama-Huntsville, Florea had 21 kills and 13 digs.

Sophomore Alison Baker, a former Hudson star in her first season at Saint Leo, had seven kills and a .455 attack percentage against West Georgia.

UPENDED: The Saint Leo men's soccer team pulled off an upset in its opener with a 2-1 defeat of Southern New Hampshire University, No. 19 in Division II.

The Lions followed that Saturday victory with a double-overtime scoreless tie against Bentley College. Both games were played in Waltham, Mass.

Ryan Smith scored Saint Leo's first goal of the season, converting a cross from Neil Laxdal for a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute against Southern New Hampshire. Smith factored into the second goal when he was pulled down by a defender in the 69th minute to set up Claus Hagedorn's penalty kick.

Solid efforts from defenders Juan Palacio and Dane Fernandez and keeper Charlie Long (Gulf) contributed to the Lions' win. Long made seven saves, a couple from point-blank range, to preserve the scoreless tie with Bentley.

The Saint Leo women's soccer squad was stymied in its opener, a 1-0 loss to Saint Thomas University on Saturday.

Though the Lions couldn't muster a goal, it was not for lack of effort. Saint Leo took 15 shots.

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