MELBOURNE, Fla.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were pushed to the limit, and then some, Saturday afternoon on the road in Melbourne, surviving an upset bid from #16 Eastern Florida in a marathon match, winning the deciding fifth set 22-20 to remain perfect at 4-0 in Citrus Conference action. 

 

The Bucs got off to a less than perfect start in the first, falling behind from the jump and never recovering, watching a 9-7 deficit balloon into a 17-10 hole after an 8-3 run from Eastern Florida before eventually falling 25-17. 

 

Playing from behind for the first time in conference play, the Bucs started much stronger in the second, getting back to back kills from Magi Milicevic to start the set and a pair of aces from Aleksandra Lucic moments later to get out to a 7-3 early advantage. The Titans cut it to one midway through the set, but the Bucs ripped off a 5-1 run after that to open up a 16-11 lead before storming to the finish line for a 25-17 win of their own to even the match at a set a piece. 

 

The third was nip and tuck for the first half with the teams splitting the first 24 points to a 12-12 deadlock. A pair of aces from Milicevic and a kill from Lucic put the Bucs in front, but three straight Titan points from there leveled the score back at 15 all. Eastern retook a 17-16 lead, but a 5-0 burst by FSW put them back in front and Giovanna Rocha closed out the set with an ace to give the Bucs a 25-20 win to go in front 2-1 in the match. 

 

The fourth was all Eastern Florida to start as the Titans roared out to an 11-4 advantage on the Bucs. A pair of kills from Sara Gamboa got the Bucs back on track and started an 8-2 run to draw FSW back to within one at 13-12. As it did many times on Saturday, a service error stopped the Bucs run and boosted a 5-0 jaunt by Eastern to cushion the Titans lead back to 18-12. The Bucs made a last push, but the hole was too much as Eastern Florida finished off a 25-20 victory to send the match to a fifth and deciding set. 

 

Playing in just their second five set match of the season, the Bucs got off to a dreadful start in the deciding stanza, committing four straight errors to allow Eastern Florida to jump out to a 4-0 lead. They battled back with four straight of their own to tie the score up, but Eastern answered with a three point run to retake a 7-4 lead. It was 8-6 Eastern at the changeover, but the Bucs crept back in and tied the score back up at 9 before the teams traded points to 11-11. The Bucs had victory in their grips, leading 14-12, but once again a service error thwarted their rally and Eastern fought off two match point attempts to level the score back at 14.  The Bucs had five chances to win it in extra points but couldn't put the Titans away as the set went to 20-20 without either team able to finish it off.  Irina Makinen found Milicevic to give the Bucs their eighth match point of the afternoon and this time they capitalized as Makinen and Milicevic connected again for the winner as the Bucs took the marathon set 22-20 to win the match 3-2. 

 

Gamboa and Milicevic combined for 35 kills on the outside in the win while Lucic finished with 13 and hit .476 while also recording a team high 6 blocks. Makinen dished out a career high 50 assists while Valentina Zevallos set a new career high of her own with 9 kills.

 

FSW finished with 65 kills to Eastern Florida's 47, but allowed the Titans to stay in the match with 21 service aces and 10 reception errors. 

 

The Bucs escape Melbourne with a win to improve to 15-1 on the year and 4-0 in Citrus Conference play while Eastern Florida falls to 11-6 overall and 2-2 in league action. 

 

The win for FSW sets up a showdown Wednesday in Miami where the #1 ranked Bucs will take on the #2 ranked Miami Dade Sharks in a rematch of each of the past three NJCAA National Championship matches all won by FSW.