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FLORIDA STATE

Volleyball

The Florida State volleyball team takes home its first road conference win of the season after downing North Carolina 3-2 (34-32, 25-30, 23-30, 30-24, 16-14) in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Friday night. FSU is now tied 4-6 in the conference with UNC and moves up to 7-11 overall (UNC is now 8-11).

The win at North Carolina marks the first conference road win of the season for the Seminoles. The last time they won against an ACC opponent away from Tallahassee was against Wake Forest on November 21, 2006. Florida State won that match 3-0 (30-16, 30-28, 30-18).

"Tonight's win was important as a team win," head coach Todd Kress said. "It was a total team effort on the road and obviously this team still has some fight left in the dog.

"We're not even through the first half of ACC play. To get one on the road after being down 2-1 one is big. We didn't play very well going into game three but we came back and pretty much controlled game four. Then we came back in game five after being down a few points and took the match. We put up a good fight."

The Seminoles were on a mission from the minute they stepped into Carmichael Auditorium as they took the first game of the night and set the tone for the rest of the match.

In an intense game one, UNC answered each point from FSU, with the score tied at 30 and again at 32. The garnet and gold's Mira Djuric inched her team closer with a kill which was followed by an attack error by the Tar Heels to secure the victory for the Seminoles.

Games two and three slipped away from Florida State, but that did not break their composure going into the fourth round.

The Seminoles regained control in game four, maintaining a .294 hitting percentage and holding North Carolina to .180. Both senior Makini Thompson and freshman Lauren Richardson recorded five kills to contribute to the 19 total.

The most intense round of the evening was also the last for the teams. Game five began as the game that would never end. FSU scored the first point, followed immediately by a kill from UNC's Christine Vaughen. The score would continue to go point-for-point until the Tar Heels took a two-point lead, bringing the score to 9-7 before the Seminoles took a timeout.

Back in action, two attack errors by the Seminoles gave UNC two points and prompted coach Kress to use their final timeout.

"When I called that final timeout the team was composed and under control," Kress said. "They knew what we had to do to execute to finish the match. I didn't really have to say a whole lot because they were so in control and focused."

Following the FSU break, Djuric put down back-to-back kills before forcing UNC to use its last timeout of the match. A service error by Seminole junior Malorie Wessel tied the score at 14 but was quickly chased by two kills from Richardson and Djuric for the win.

"Defensively I think tonight was one of our better efforts," Kress said. "We need to do that again tomorrow night against NC State."

The last time Florida State won on the road this season was against Kansas at the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing, Mich. The Seminoles must now keep the momentum from tonight's victory strong as they travel to Raleigh, N.C., to take on the 3-12 NC State Wolfpack on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m.

"We need to continue to get better with every match," Kress said. "North Carolina State is obviously getting better every single night they're on the court, so it will be another tough ACC match."

Live stats from the match can be found at www.theacc.com

FLORIDA

Women's Soccer

The University of Florida soccer team (8-4-2, 4-2 SEC) posted its fourth consecutive shutout win, defeating Southeastern Conference Western Division leader Auburn (9-4-1, 5-2 SEC) Friday evening in front of a James G. Pressly crowd of 849.

The four straight shutout wins is the longest for the Gators since 1999 when UF finished the regular season with five consecutive shutouts. UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh credited not only the Gator backline, but the play of the entire Florida team in their ability to keep the opponent's off the scoreboard.

"I thought Shelley (Lyle) and Lauren (Hyde) were outstanding tonight. They won a lot of balls in the air and they cut out a lot of things that never got dangerous because they never let them get dangerous. They did a really good job, as well as the rest of the defense," Burleigh said.

"I think that (shutout streak) is a big testament to our entire team defense. I think our players are really committed to playing both directions, offensively and defensively. I like the way we are playing because we are not giving teams a lot of opportunities." After a scoreless first half, the Gators wasted little time when play resumed. Freshman Karly Findorff, making her third consecutive start at midfield, sent a ball from the top of the box to the left end line.

KeLeigh Hudson collected the ball and curved it in for a far post goal. The goal was the fourth of the season for the senior. "I pulled out wide when I saw that Karly had time and space. She had that look up and I made that run in behind. I was just trying to get it either across the goal or to the back post," Hudson said. "It went over the goalkeeper's head. I guess she was cheating (off her line)."

The goal came just 44 seconds into the second half, erasing the Gators' previous quickest second half goal of the season set last Friday at Mississippi (Megan Kerns at 46:51). The Gators extended their lead to 2-0 at 52:53 when Stacy Bishop headed in Ameera Abdullah's corner kick .

"The ball was played in and I just saw it and headed it. It was a great ball served in," Bishop said. "We finally scored on a corner kick - we haven't done that this year." Bishop has now scored four goals this season, with three coming off her head. She and KeLeigh Hudson are tied for second among the Gators in 2007 goals. She credits her teammates' serves for her header goals.

"All the balls have been perfect balls in, so I don't have to do much," she said. "Just get a head on it and it goes in." Florida has turned in nine goals in the last four matches after opening league play being outscored 4-1 in the first two matches. The team was having plenty of chances, but was experiencing trouble finishing. Burleigh said it was hard going through the scoring difficulties and hopes the team continues moving forward.

"We want to keep it rolling. We feel like we are getting out of slump of not scoring. I thought their keeper had a really good game tonight. She did a really good job of keeping them in the match," Burleigh said. "We just want to keep getting three points and keep moving on."

Next up, the Gators continue its homestand versus SEC Western Division rivals when Alabama (9-6-1, 2-4-1 SEC) visits Pressly Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 21. Match time is set for 1:30 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans will receive a hackey sack. Alabama lost 2-0 at South Carolina Friday evening. Sunday's match is available on GatorVision. More information about GatorVision is available at the official website of the Florida Gators - www.GatorZone.com. Match statistics and streaming audio of the UF-UA match can also be found on www.GatorZone.com.

Volleyball

Junior middle blocker Kelsey Bowers (Gainesville, Fla.) collected career-highs of 17 kills and six digs to lead the 10th-ranked University of Florida volleyball team to a 3-1 (30-24, 29-31, 30-17, 30-20) win over Auburn on Friday night.

Bowers led a quartet of UF players with double-figure kill totals on the night, including 13 by senior outside hitter Marcie Hampton (Gainesville, Fla.). Freshman outside hitter Callie Rivers (Winter Park, Fla.) killed 12 balls - one shy of her career high - and senior middle blocker Kisya Killingsworth (Deltona, Fla.) came off the bench to post 10 on the evening. Senior opposite hitter Amber McCray (Longview, Texas) was just one kill shy of joining that group, finishing with nine.

"Our offense really played well tonight, and we were spreading the ball around well," Florida head coach Mary Wise said. "When you can get double-figure kills from so many different places, you know something is going right. Our veterans played like it tonight, and they really led us to this win." Florida hit .309 in the match, led by .615 and .519 clips by Killingsworth and Bowers, respectively. The Gators also ripped off a season-high-tying 12 aces, led by four each from Rivers and freshman defensive specialist Erin Fleming (Orlando, Fla.), with the former establishing a new career high and the latter matching hers. UF also posted 15.0 total blocks on the night, led by seven from Bowers, to limit Auburn to .162 hitting. Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) led the Gators with 17 digs, and Hampton came up with 16 to record her 11th double-double of the year. Rivers also notched a double-double on Friday night, finishing with 10 digs tom go along with her 10 kills.

McGinnis paced the field with 55 assists on the night, while also adding four kills, five digs, five blocks and an ace to that total.

Sophomore middle blocker Kristina Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) and senior opposite hitter Amber McCray (Longview, Texas) each recorded a pair of kills early in game one, helping the Gators grab a 5-4 lead. After Auburn fought back to take a 10-7 edge, UF used kills by junior middle blocker Kelsey Bowers (Gainesville, Fla.) and senior outside hitter Marcie Hampton (Gainesville, Fla.) to battle back to within one before Johnson and freshman outside hitter Callie Rivers (Winter Park, Fla.) teamed up on a block to tie the score at 12-12. Freshman defensive specialist Erin Fleming (Orlando, Fla.) fired Florida's first ace of the night to make the score 16-14 in favor of the visitors, and Bowers' fourth kill of the night came just minutes later to force AU to call its first timeout with the Gators' on top, 19-15. Hampton added a quick kill and Rivers chipped in with back-to-back aces after the break to power Florida to a 7-1 run and a 22-15 lead. Consecutive kills by Hampton and Johnson led to another Tigers timeout with the count at 26-18, and the hosts came out of the stoppage and cut UF's lead to three at 27-24. The Gators, however, stormed back to take the next three points on the strength of a McCray kill, a double block by Bowers and senior setter Angie McGinnis (Fraser, Mich.) and a game-clinching Fleming ace, taking the opener by a score of 30-24. The Gators hit .429 in the frame, led by six kills each from McCray and Bowers, while Hampton contributed a half dozen digs.

The Orange and Blue took an early 3-1 lead in game two courtesy of a block assist by Bowers and McGinnis and a kill from Rivers. The margin increased to 9-2 on Rivers' career-high third ace of the night, and Hampton pushed the lead to 11-5 with a kill and a block solo on consecutive rallies. A 3-0 Florida run increased its advantage to seven points, 17-10, and forced the AU to burn its final timeout of the stanza. Auburn, however the match at 1-1 heading into the intermission.

Hampton was active in the early part of game three, leading the Gators to a 6-3 lead with a kill and an ace, while Johnson chipped in with two kills of her own. Back-to-back kills by Bowers increased the lead to 9-4, but AU fought back to within one at 11-10. Senior middle blocker Kisya Killingsworth (Deltona, Fla.) pounded home her first kill of the night to make the score 12-10, then followed it up with another to run the count to 13-11. A Rivers kill and a net violation on Auburn forced the Tigers to call their first timeout of game three with Florida leading 17-13, but McCray and Bowers teamed up on a block immediately after the break to keep momentum on UF's side. Sophomore Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) ripped an ace down the middle of the court to increase the edge to 21-13, and a kill by Rivers put the score at 23-14 before Auburn used its second timeout of the game. Fleming came out of the break firing from behind the service line, sending home back-to-back aces to make the score 25-14. Hampton put the finishing touches on a 30-17 game-three win with the Gators' first solo block of the match. UF registered 3.0 total blocks in the game to hold Auburn to a .111 hitting efficiency, while picking up five aces in the service game en route to taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Gators used a block assist by Killingsworth and McCray to battle back from an early 3-0 deficit in game four, fighting to take their first lead at 6-5. Bowers' 14th kill of the night made the score 10-6 in favor of the visitors, and Auburn battled back to within one before a Killingsworth kill and a McGinnis ace pushed UF's lead to 14-10 and forced Auburn to ask for its first timeout of the game. Killingsworth slammed home two more kills and Rivers pitched in with a solo block to help Florida retain an 18-13 lead. The margin reached 22-16 when Bowers and McGinnis elevated for a block assist, prompting Auburn to use its final timeout of the frame. Bowers ripped off a kill and an ace on consecutive plays to push Florida's lead to 25-17, and she and McCray double-teamed a block minutes later to force match point at 29-20.

McCray clinched the win for Florida on the next rally with her ninth kill of the night. The Gators hit .359 in game four, while holding Auburn to a .077 clip.

UF will hit the court again on Sunday when they visit Georgia for a 2 p.m. ET showdown in Athens. Radio coverage of the action can be heard on WRUF-AM 850, as well as www.GatorZone.com, and GatorVision Online

subscribers can watch the match live via the Internet courtesy of the University of Georgia.

SOUTH FLORIDA

Women's Soccer

After recording five goals last weekend, the University of South Florida women's soccer team was held scoreless in a 3-0 loss to Cincinnati Friday night in Ohio.

The Bearcats tallied three goals in the first half to drop the Bulls' BIG EAST record to 3-3-1. USF, who is 3-1-1 in its last five games, is now 4-6-2 overall.

"We just didn't match their intensity in the first half," said head coach Denise Schilte-Brown. "Cincinnati came out for their senior night ready to play, and they just took it to us in the first half."

Sophomore Nina Jokuschies and freshman Alyshia Currey each had two shots on goal while four other players tallied at least one shot throughout the night.

Sophomore goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi made eight saves, but allowed three goals in 76 minutes in goal.

"Although the girls came out and battled a lot harder in the second half, it was too late," continued Schilte-Brown. "Now we are going to put this game aside and get better for out next game, against Louisville."

The 10-3-2 Cardinals are 5-2-1 in the BIG EAST after a 2-2 overtime tie with Marquette tonight in Kentucky.

USF and Louisville kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 at Cardinal Park.

After the weekend in the Midwest, fans can see the Bulls in action one more time, when Georgetown comes to Tampa to play at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23. USF then concludes the regular season the same way it began - on the road. The Bulls head to West Virginia (Oct. 26) and Pittsburgh (Oct. 28), before possibly playing in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament Nov. 1.

Women's Golf

The University of South Florida women's golf team is in 10th place after completing 18 holes today in the Lady Paladin Invitational at the Furman University golf course. The Bulls shot a first-round 312, 13 strokes behind tournament leader East Tennessee State.

Despite rainy conditions on the course, senior Christina Jones shot an even-par 72, the lowest round of the day for the Bulls. Jones is tied for third place, just two strokes behind leader Carmen Perez-Narbon of UNC-Wilmington.

Gennifer Mendez carded a 77 putting her tied for 18th overall. The junior has the second best score for the Bulls after the first round.

Emily Van Etten, the only freshman USF has at the tournament, is tied for 58th with a first round score of 81.

Senior Kylene Pulley and junior Jessica Schnebly both shot an 82 today putting them tied for 65th.

Round two is tomorrow beginning at 8:30 a.m., with the third and final round taking place on Sunday. The Bulls will be paired with Furman and Memphis in round two.

The standings for the field at the conclusion of round one are as follows: East Tennessee State, Texas Christian, UNC-Greensboro, Augusta State, Northwestern, Louisville, Coastal Carolina, UNC-Wilmington, Notre Dame, USF, Furman, Memphis, Mississippi State, Ole Mississippi, Minnesota, Winthrop, Kennesaw State, and Wofford.

"I'm really excited about the way Christina played, it's the start of some really great golf for her," said head coach Marci Kornegay. "We're going to expect great things from Christina. She looked great out there, real confident and comfortable."

UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA

Volleyball

The rematch of the 2006 NCAA II volleyball national championship match went in favor of the top-ranked University of Tampa (20-1) as the Spartans handed the University of North Alabama (16-12) a 3-0 loss. The game was featured as the CSTV NCAA II National Match of the Week and was part of a webcast through CBS/CSTV.

The Lions came roaring out of the gates, taking a 10-6 lead before the Spartans began to rally to tie the game at 19 apiece. Trailing 20-19, Tampa won the next seven points to win game one by a 30-25 mark. Alisha Green enjoyed a stellar first game, connecting on seven of eight attacks for a .875 hitting percentage in the game.

North Alabama kept the lead until midway through the second game when UT took 10 of 14 points in the middle of the game. The Lions battled back, earning a game point at 31-30 before the Spartans took four of the next five points to win 34-32.

Tampa continued its momentum into game three as it never trailed and led by as many as 10 points. UT ultimately took the final game by a score of 30-23.

Erin Clark led the Spartans with a team-high 17 kills. Tampa's leading hitter also enjoyed a .400 hitting percentage for the night. Green joined Clark in double figures with 14 kills at a .545 attack clip. Gabriela Saade set up the opportunities with a team-high 36 assists as freshman Meghan Sherman contributed seven.

Margeaux Sinibaldi inched closer to the 2,000 dig milestone as she registered 19 on the night. The Sunshine state Conference and University of Tampa all-time digs leader now needs just 17 digs to become the 22nd player in NCAA II history to record 2,000 in their career. Camila Saade also chipped in 10 digs off the bench.

Tampa's defense also accounted for five blocks, three of which were credited to Green. Katelen Dixon added a pair as Danielle MacDonald and Melissa Vanderhall each had one.

After being outhit .290 to .278 in game one, the Spartans held the Lions to just .106 and .200 in the final two games. UT enjoyed a .245 mark in game two and a .389 hitting percentage in game three.

The Spartans return to action tomorrow in the third match of the October Classic. UT will be pitted against Montevallo at 5 p.m.

SAINT LEO

Volleyball

The Saint Leo University volleyball team (21-8, 5-5 SSC) tied its program record for wins in a season with a 3-1 Sunshine State Conference win over visiting Florida Tech (16-9, 1-9 SSC) on Friday night. The Lions won the four-game match with scores of 31-29, 30-23, 21-30, 30-27.

Sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Armer (San Jose, Calif.) led the Lions to the win with 18 kills, as she hit .317. Freshman Kaitlin McKenna (Farmington Hills, Mich.) added 14 kills in the win, hitting at a .429 clip. Michelle Nogueras (So., Cayey, Puerto Rico) added 50 assists, 16 digs and five kills in the win.

A tight opening game saw the Lions trailing 29-27 late. However, Saint Leo went on to score the game's final four points and take the lead in the match with a 31-29 game one victory.

Game two saw Saint Leo fall behind 11-5. However, the Lions put together a 9-1 run to get back into the game. From that point on it was a see-saw battle for the middle portion of the match, until the Lions exploded with an 11-4 run to close the game out with a 30-23 win.

After Florida Tech extended the match with victory in game three, the Lions outlasted the Panthers to seal the match with a 30-28 win in game four.

Saint Leo will host a tournament tomorrow with four matches at the Bowman Center. The Lions will open the day versus Henderson State at 10:00 a.m. Henderson State will then face Florida Tech at noon, followed by Saint Leo versus Northwood at 2:00 p.m. The day will conclude with Florida Tech facing Northwood at 4:00 p.m.

[Last modified October 20, 2007, 01:14:12]