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FLORIDA

Volleyball

Killingsworth's Dozen Kills Lead No. 6 VB To Sweep Of Auburn

GAINESVILLE- Senior middle blocker Kisya Killingsworth (Deltona, Fla.) recorded 12 kills on .375 hitting to lead the sixth-ranked University of Florida volleyball team to a 3-0 (30-16, 30-25, 30-19) victory over Auburn on Sunday at the Stephen C. O?Connell Center.

Killingsworth also added three block assists on her way to a match-high 13.5 points, while senior opposite hitter Amber McCray (Longview, Texas) chipped with 10 kills on a .421 hitting efficiency. Both players reached double-figure kill totals for the fourth-consecutive match.

Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) tied for match-high honors with 13 digs, while also adding five assists. We played very well in several aspects of the game today, Florida head coach Mary Wise said. "Elyse Cusack looked like the game was in slow motion for her today, and that starts a ripple effect for our hitters."

We were able to score some big-time points with our attack, and anytime you can get three blocks a game, you know the defense is playing well. Florida recorded 9.5 team blocks on the afternoon, led by four block assists each from sophomore middle blocker Kristina Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) and senior setter Angie McGinnis (Fraser, Mich.). Two days after posting the fourth triple-double in school history, McGinnis also added a match-high 35 assists, six kills and four digs.

Senior outside hitter Marcie Hampton (Gainesville, Fla.) had nine kills on the day, moving into sole possession of ninth place on the school's career chart. She also chipped in with eight digs and three block assists to finish the day with 10.5 points.

UF hits the court again on Friday night, traveling to Oxford, Miss., for a bout with Mississippi at 8 p.m. EST. The action can be heard on WRUF-AM 850, as well as www.GatorZone.com. GatorVision Online subscribers will also be able to view streaming video of the contest live on the Internet courtesy of the University of Mississippi.

Men's golf

DALTON, Ga. -- The University of Florida men's golf team finished the Carpet Capital Collegiate with a tournament total of 893 (+29) for a finish in 12th place. Florida wrapped-up 24 strokes behind winners Alabama and South Carolina.

"The course played a little easier today that it had earlier in the weekend because the wind finally laid down for a little bit," head coach Buddy Alexander said. "Overall, we are not pleased with the outcome of this weekend, and I'd say we have a long way to go before we can call ourselves a good team."

The low finisher for Florida was senior Manuel Villegas (Medillin, Colombia), who fired a one-under par third round to finish tied for 28th with a score of 74-76-71 = 221 (+5). Villegas began his final round shooting four-under through his first nine holes, highlighted by an eagle and two birdies, before struggling on the back half. Junior Toby Ragland (Jacksonville, Fla.) enjoyed the top round for the Gators Sunday, shooting in red numbers, posting scores of 75-79-68 = 222 (+6) to finish in a tie for 35th place. His final round got off to a great start after birdying six of his first nine holes. Sophomore Tyson Alexander (Gainesville, Fla.) shot 74-76-74 = 224 (+8) to wrap-up his weekend, finishing with a share of 44th.

After shooting a career-low 75 on Saturday, sophomore Chappell Brown (Palm Beach) got into trouble with a triple-bogey and three bogeyson the day. His total of 77-75-77 = 229 (+13) tied him for 60th place in his Gator debut. Redshirt freshman Robbie Wight (Palm Beach,) rounded out the Florida scorecard in 74th with a 77-82-74 = 233 (17) for the weekend.

"We were young and a little inexperienced this weekend. We put some guys in there to get some exposure to see where we're at right now," Alexander said. "Toby stepped up for us today, and Manny had a good round, as well. We'll get back home and do some qualifying to make sure we're ready for the next tournament."

The Gators will be in action again from Sept. 22-23, when they travel to West Lafayette, Ind., for the PING/Golfweek Preview Invitational, hosted by Purdue at the Purdue Golf Club.

Women's golf

Women's Golf Plays Above Rankings at Mason Rudolph

Nashville, Tenn - The University of Florida women's golf team played above and beyond the national rankings as it wrapped up the final round of competition Sunday at the season-opening Mason Rudolph Women's Championship hosted by Vanderbilt. The Lady Gators finished fifth in a deep 17-team field and were led once again by true freshman Jessica Yadloczky (Casselberry, Fla.) as she finished with the squad?s best score for the second straight day.

The Mason Rudolph is arguably the nation's toughest event other than the NCAA Championships with nine of the top-10 ranked teams in attendance. The Lady Gators proved to be unfazed by the No. 13 rating they received in Golfweek's Preseason Top 30 released earlier in the month. Florida finished ahead of No. 3 USC, No. 5 Auburn, No. 7 Purdue, No. 8 Vanderbilt and No. 9 Arizona in the top 10. UF carded a team score of 292 to finish with a three-round total of 876 (+12).

"We have to continue what we're doing and we'll continue to progress like we want to," head coach Jill Briles-Hinton said. "We'll probably move up a little in the rankings but not too much. This was a nice first step to getting to where we want to be as a team."

Yadloczky's rapid progession continued as she finished with three birdies on the back nine for a career-low 70. After shooting an initial round of 75 on Friday, she battled swirling winds and adverse weather in Saturday's second-round action to drop two shots off her score on Saturday and knocked off three more strokes to finish two-under par in the final round. The AJGA All-American reflected on her first career event as she recorded her first top-20 finish by placing 18th.

"In the first round I went out and just tried to hit fairways and greens and tried to get comfortable," Yadloczky said. "The day before the practice round I was able to learn the breaks and get a feel for the speed. I kept putting better each day and went to 35 to 29 and to 25 putts. I'm still not hitting my irons as well as I would like to but I'm putting really well and getting up and down from great places. Being around my teammates has boosted my confidence and kept me going."

Two-time All-American Sandra Gal (Leichlingen, Germany), broke even on the day with four birdies and four bogeys for a tally of 72. Gal recorded the team's best finish by finishing 14th and was just one stroke away from her 15th career top-10 performance.

Tiffany Chudy (Miramar, Fla.) equaled her second-round total, wrapping up with a 74. Chudy started and ended the day tied for 36th. Fellow seniors Whitney Myers (East Berlin, Pa.) and Eleanor Tucker (Wilson, N.C.) each shot a 76 and ended up tied for 31st and 61st, respectively. Up next on the slate for Florida is the Lady Wildcat Invitational Sept. 29-Oct. 1 hosted by the University of Kentucky.

SOUTH FLORIDA

Men's soccer

Pair of Hat Tricks Keep Bulls Rolling

TAMPA - Three goals each from senior Simon Schoendorf and freshman Bernardo Anor lifted the 16 th ranked University of South Florida men's soccer team to a 6-1 win over American University Saturday night. The fifth win of the year equals the best start of head coach George Kiefer's career.

The Bulls (5-0-0) came out of the gates early looking to impress a lively crowd at the USF Soccer Stadium.

Just 3:27 into the match, Schoendorf connected on a rebounded post-shot from teammate Jordan Seabrook in the box about seven yards out for his first goal of the night and second on the year.

The senior from Karlsruhe, Germany, enjoyed a career-night as he tallied his career-best in goals with three, points (six) and shots (five). Following his hat trick, the midfielder now leads the team in overall points with 11.

One minute after Schoendorf's first score, American (3-2-0) was able to tie the game as Karsten Smith gathered the ball off of a feed from Daniel Shannon in USF's box. Smith's shot found the back of the net despite the efforts of the Bulls' defenders trying to deflect it.

The match became all USF from there on out.

In the 26 th minute, Kevon Neaves lined up for a corner kick that the Eagles' keeper Chris Sedlak blocked out to Anor who hammered it home for the first points of the Caracas, Venezuela, native's collegiate career.

Anor would add his second goal midway through the 45 th minute on a breakaway that he put past Sedlak, who was tested to the extreme all night with USF launching 20 total shots his way.

Newcomer Javed Mohammed was credited with the assist on Anor's second goal, garnering him his first point in a USF jersey.

Schoendorf waited until the 41 st minute for his second goal, taking advantage of penetration in American's box with Seabrook and Kris Raad. After several short passes, Schoendorf was able to get a clear look to the back of the net to extend USF's lead to 3-1.

Raad and Schoendorf connected one more time in the expiring ticks of the match. In the 90 th minute Schoendorf completed his hat trick off of Raad's give that beat a weary Eagles defense. For Raad, his two assists on the night earned the Chuluota, Fla., native the first points of his senior season.

Anor capped his night in the 72 nd frame off of a pass from junior Jordan Seabrook fired in from the top of the box. Seabrook's assist, his third of the game at that point, gives him the team-lead with five on the year. The sprinter from Indianapolis, Ind., has tallied nine points this season and 60 total in his outstanding career.

Keeper Diego Restrepo saw his consecutive shutout streak end at three, following the lone Eagles goal, however the first-year net-minder still boasts a .60 GAA and a .870 save percentage.

Following USF's highest offensive output of the season, the Bulls have now out-scored opponents 15-3 on the year. The stat is something that will only help to enhance the men's soccer team's stance in the polls.

"I don't think we're reading too much into our rankings," Kiefer said following the game. "We've got a lot to work on. The team is good right now, we have good results, but we can get a lot better."

The Bulls will look to show off that enhanced skill as they welcome No. 2 Connecticut to the USF Soccer Stadium to open up BIG EAST play next Friday, Sept. 21. The Huskies will also enter the contest with an undefeated record and the conference's Offensive Player of the Week for the past two weeks, O'Brian White. Match time is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Women's soccer

Bulls Split Weekend Soccer Games

BOCA RATON - The University of South Florida women's soccer team split the weekend after beating Miami 3-2 Friday, but lost 1-0 to Florida Atlantic Sunday afternoon in Boca Raton, Fla.

The Bulls are now 1-3-1, just two victories shy of 100 program wins, currently posting an overall record of 98-96-19 in 13 seasons.

The Bulls and Owls were scoreless in the first half Sunday afternoon, as only three total shots were taken, one by USF. Both keepers recorded a save in the first 45 minutes of play and USF had already taken five corner kicks, as opposed to FAU's one.

In the second half, USF sophomore goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi made five saves, but in the 87th minute allowed FAU's Susanna Lehtinen to score an unassisted goal, which gave the Owls the 1-0 victory.

USF junior forward Lindsay Brauer took two shots, one on goal, in the game, while sophomore Rachel Jakubowski and freshman Lisa Maria Bjorkvik each tallied an attempt.

The Bulls were outshot 9-4, but took three more corners than the Owls (5-2).

USF next travels to Milwaukee, Wis., to play Marquette on Friday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. local time.

USF's home opener is September 28 when the Bulls face off against the preseason No. 17 Connecticut Huskies at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for that game are $5 for adults, $3 for youth 16-and-under and $2 for groups of 10 or more and are available on www.GoUSFBulls.com or by calling 1-800-GoBulls. Season tickets are also available.

SAINT LEO

Women's soccer

SAINT LEO WOMEN?S SOCCER NETS 3-1 WIN OVER PALM BEACH ATLANTIC

Chrissy Darwell nets her 3 rd and 4 th goals of the year en route to victory

Saint Leo (September 15, 2007) ? The Saint Leo University Women?s soccer team (4-2) (0-1) rebounded from a disappointing loss to Nova Southeastern on Wednesday with a 3-1 win over Palm Beach Atlantic University (3-2). The Lions offense pressured the Sailfish in the second half and their defense limited Palm Beach to just four shots during the match.

Down 1-0 after a penalty kick by Palm Beach?s Brandi Bianco, the Lions offense took charge. Chrissy Darwell (Cranston, R.I.) scored her first goal of the match and third of the season. After receiving the ball from Jennifer O?Connor (Fernandina Beach), Darwell ripped the ball into the back of the net and tied the match up at one.

The Lions took the lead for good when Sophomore Hannah Beard (Liverpool, England/Calderstones) set up Freshman Chrissy Darwell for her second goal of the night putting the Lions up for good 2-1. Their offense continued to push though, in the second half with two seconds remaining in the match the Lions sealed the deal when Stacey Rodwell (Southport, England/Christ the King Catholic HS) found Junior Bridgett Godwin ( Ocean Springs, Miss./University of Mobile) for her first goal of the season and the final goal of the night.

The Lions put 14 shots up on the board in the second half and had 22 for the game. The Lions defense also created havoc for the Sailfish and allowed only three shots on goal on just four shots. Sophomore Goal Keeper Lauren Hudson, ( Odessa/Mitchell HS) improved to 4-2 on the year.

The Saint Leo Women?s Soccer team goes back to Sunshine State Conference action on Wednesday, September 19th at 7:00 pm as the Florida Southern Moccasins come to University Field.

TAMPA

Men's soccer

Tampa Downs Florida Tech in Extra Time

Melbourne - Clevon George scored two goals, including the game-winner in extra time Sunday to lead the University of Tampa Spartans (5-1, 1-0) to a 3-2 victory over Florida Tech (1-5-1, 0-1). The win marks the fourth consecutive win for the Spartans and their first in Sunshine State Conference play this season.

The Spartans took the lead early in the match as Kevin Sierra headed home a cross from George in the 5th minute to give Tampa a 1-0 lead. George added a goal of his own in the 13th minute to give the Spartans a quick 2-0 lead in the match.

The Panthers of Florida Tech found the back of the net in the 41st minute to narrow the Spartan lead to 2-1 after Ryan Hagerty scored off a corner kick from Tyson Eyo. Florida Tech scored again in the 73rd minute when Nicholas Garcia beat the Tampa keeper on a breakaway to put the Panthers back on terms with the Spartans at 2-2.

The match stayed 2-2 into extra time until George clinched the Spartans' fourth straight win in the 104th minute, scoring his second goal of the match, both unassisted. The senior striker was involved on all the Spartan goals in the match, scoring two and assisting on Sierra's 5th minute score.

Kevin St. John went the distance for the Spartans in net, allowing two goals and making three saves for his fifth win of the season.

The Spartans return to the pitch on Friday as they travel to Lake Wales to square off against the Royals of Warner Southern. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Women's soccer

Tampa Plays to Draw With Ouachita Baptist

Searcy, Ark. - The third-ranked Tampa Spartans (6-1-1) played to a scoreless draw against Ouachita Baptist (4-1-2) on Sunday afternoon, ending their modest two game win streak.

The Spartans managed only five shots on goal throughout the 110 minutes of play, showing few signs of life on their way to their first draw of the season. Shannon Aitken kept Tampa in the match all afternoon, stopping all six shots on goal from the Tigers en route to her fifth shutout of the season.

The Spartans return to the pitch on September 26 when they travel to Winter Park to take on the Rollins Tars in a Sunshine State Conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm.

[Last modified September 16, 2007, 22:48:42]