August 28, 2025
Bucs Split Pair in Rocky Mountains
The #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers suffered their first loss of the season in a five set thriller against Southern Idaho in their opening match of the Crystal InnVitational in Salt Lake City, but bounced back with a 3-1 win in the night cap against the host Salt Lake Bruins to run their 2025 record to 5-1.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah- The #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers suffered their first loss of the season in a five set thriller against Southern Idaho in their opening match of the Crystal InnVitational in Salt Lake City, but bounced back with a 3-1 win in the night cap against the host Salt Lake Bruins to run their 2025 record to 5-1.
In a rematch of both teams' season openers last week in Fort Myers, FSW and CSI squared off in a rare Thursday matchup to get their action going in Salt Lake. It was tight early in the first as the two teams split the first 20 points before the Bucs looked like they had some momentum as they took a 17-15 lead later in the period. CSI scored the next four to take a two point lead of their own before FSW knotted things up at 21 to make it a race to four. A service error gave the ball back to the Golden Eagles and they wouldn't give it back again as a kill and two aces later CSI finished off a 25-21 win to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Once again, the Bucs and Eagles traded blows to the midway point of the second when CSI rolled off four in a row to take a 16-12 lead and force an FSW timeout. With their backs to the wall, the Bucs turned to their bench and Letizia Okonofua who responded with a pair of kills to get the Bucs back in it and moments later Irina Makinen connected with Aleksandra Lucic in the middle to put FSW up a pair, 20-18. Southern Idaho fought off three set points, but needed four to keep it going as Sara Gamboa rocked one down the line to put it in the books as the Bucs finished off a 25-23 win to even the match at a set a piece.
It was all FSW early in the third as they jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead, but CSI stormed back, tying the game at 8. A big block by Lucic and Patrycja Labucka stopped the Eagle run and with Sarah Webb at the service line, the Bucs rolled off five straight to put them back on top 13-8 at the midway point of the period. CSI trimmed the lead to two late, but they wouldn't get any closer as the Bucs finished things off with an ace from Webb and a Makinen to Lucic hook up to win it 24-19 and go ahead 2-1 in the match.
The Bucs carried the momentum straight over into the fourth, scoring the first four points of the set, but agani CSI fought back, tying the score at 6 before going ahead 14-8 midway through the set. The Eagles kept the Bucs at arm's length until later in the set when a kill from Magi Milicevic cut the CSI lead to three at 19-16. The Bucs battled all the way back to level late in the set after back to back blocks made it 24-24, but a kill out of the middle by the Eagles followed by a block on the outside sealed it as CSI won the set 26-24 to force a fifth.
CSI bursted out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth and FSW never fully recovered. The Bucs cut it to a two point game at 6-4 and drew to within one at 10-9, but that was as close as they would get as the Eagles finished the match off with a kill to give them the 15-11 win to take the match 3-2.
Gamboa finished with a season high 20 kills for the Bucs while Webb collected 20 digs and Makinen dialed up a double-double with a career high 43 assists and 10 digs.
As a team the Bucs committed 30 hitting errors and 17 service errors.
After a short break, things didn't get any easier for the Bucs as they squared off against the host Salt Lake Bruins on their home floor.
In front of a spirited Thursday night crowd, the Bucs got off to a good start against the Bruins, jumping in front 6-3 after good stands by Gamboa and Makinen at the service line. Midway through the first, it was FSW doubling up Salt Lake 12-6, but the Bruins didn't roll over on their home floor, outscoring the Bucs 9-3 over the next dozen points to get back to within two at 15-13. Valentina Zevallos picked up a kill to get the Bucs the ball back and they went on a tear to close out the set, taking advantage of back to back Salt Lake errors to seal it up 25-18 and go ahead 1-0 in the match.
After scoring the first two points in the second, the Bucs fell flat as Salt Lake scored 9 of the next 10 to take a 9-3 lead. Slowly the Bucs worked their way back into it, drawing back to within one at 13-12 midway through after a second ball kill from Makinen. It remained a one point game later on at 17-16, but this time it was Salt Lake finishing strong, rolling off 8 of the final 10 points of the second to take it 25-18 and even things up at a set a piece.
The third couldn't have contrasted more on the stat sheet, but once again, it was tight late in the period. It was 5-5 after 10 points and 10-10 after 20 before a mid-set run by the Bucs put them on top 16-13. FSW kept swinging, getting kills from Lucic and Okonofua to make it 22-18 before Gamboa hammered one to the floor to win it for the Bucs 25-19 to give them a 2-1 lead in the match. The Bucs finished the set with 21 kills while Salt Lake had just 7 despite keeping it close most the way.
An ace from Magi Milicevic and a kill from Lucic got the Bucs out to a 6-3 lead in the fourth and they built on their lead, extending their advantage to 13-7 midway through the set. The Bucs continued to put pressure on the Bruins at the service line, padding their lead to 18-9 and then 20-10 at the 30 point mark. Giovanna Rocha and Bethyna Kayser tag teamed on a stuff to give the Bucs set point and a miscommunication by Salt Lake put the final nail in the coffin as the Bucs won the fourth 25-12 to win the match 3-1.
The Bucs finished off a season high 58 kills while also hitting a season best .267 in the victory. Four different players recorded double digit kills as Gamboa led the way with 15 while Lucic had a season high 12 and Rocha and Okonofua each had 10. Makinen dished out 40 assists for the second straight game while Webb set a career high with 24 digs to anchor the back line. The Bucs recorded 11 total blocks, of which Lucic found her way in on a season high 8.
The Bucs move to 5-1 on the year with the split.
The loss to Southern Idaho snapped a 33 game non-conference winning streak for the Bucs, stretching 1,455 days all the way back to September 3rd of the 2021 season.
FSW will be back in action on Friday night at 7 PM (MT) when they take on Las Vegas' Southern Nevada in the final game of day two of the Crystal InnVitational.