No. 20 Volleyball Upends No. 10 Daytona State, 3-0
February 17, 2021

No. 20 Volleyball Upends No. 10 Daytona State, 3-0

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - No. 20 Santa Fe volleyball swept past No. 10 Daytona State College on Wednesday evening, 25-22, 25-23, 25-18. The victory was Santa Fe's seventh straight win, and helped the Saints remain atop the Mid-Florida Conference standings with a 3-0 mark. 
 
The win also marked the Saints' first win over a team inside the NJCAA Division I Top-20 this season, two days after Santa Fe claimed its own spot in the poll at No. 20.
 
The Saints have been tough to contend with all season long on the home floor, and that stayed true Wednesday night against the Falcons. With the sweep, SF has now won all 12 of the sets played inside SF Gymnasium. 
 
Set 1 - SF 25, DSC 22 
Santa Fe never faced a deficit in the first set, although it was tightly contested throughout. 
 
The Saints led 14-8 after a block from the middle of the court, then the Falcons proceeded to go on a 6-1 run to make it a one-point difference, 15-14.
 
Santa Fe regrouped, however, responding with a 6-1 spurt of their own to lead 21-15.
 
The Falcons trimmed their deficit down to just two points on two separate occasions, but after Santa Fe called a timeout leading 24-22, Samantha Caglianone had the final kill of the set to put the Saints in front. 
 
Set 2 - SF 25, DSC 23
Daytona State went ahead 4-1 early in Set 2, but saw the advantage quickly disappear. 
 
Santa Fe led by a 12-11 margin before winning four unanswered points to bring the score to 15-11, forcing a timeout from the Falcons. 
 
As play continued, however, it became apparent Set 2 would come down to the wire. 
 
With Daytona State leading 23-22, the Saints collected themselves and found a way to win the final three points of the set, capped off by a block from Katelyn Crofts and Maria Hernandez on the Falcons first swing of the decisive point.
 
Set 3 - SF 25, DSC 18
Looking to close the door on the Falcons, Santa Fe broke a 6-6 tie with four unanswered points, once again forcing a Dayona State timeout.
 
The Saints still held a one-point advantage at 12-11, and just when it looked like Daytona State may have turned the tide, Santa Fe started a 6-0 surge to lead 17-11. The final two points of the run came off blocks from Emily Register and Abbey James. 
 
The Falcons drew to within three points, 19-16, but that would prove to be the closest they would come, as the Saints ended the match well by winning five of the final six points in the convincing win. 
 
Key Statistics
As a team, Santa Fe stifled the Daytona State attack, finishing with 71 digs in total over the course of the three sets (23.6 digs per set). 
 
Caglianone led the attack with 13 kills, while Madison Sheffield added nine.
 
Register was a force to be reckoned with at the net, matching a career-high with eight blocks. 
 
The Cheronis Perspective
Head Coach Nick Cheronis: "As always, our left sides were on point most of the night, but our back row play was exceptional," said Head Coach Nick Cheronis. "There were no easy kills for Daytona State, but I guarantee you it will be a much different match when we go there later in the year."
 
As he has been the last few matches in particular, Cheronis was pleased with the play from the Saints' middle blockers. 
 
"Emily Register was dominant blocking tonight. It was just a great effort all the way around."
 
Up Next
Santa Fe (8-1, 3-0 MFC) remains on the home floor for two games on Friday, Feb. 19, first against Indian River State College at 2:00 p.m., then at 7:00 p.m. against Hillsborough Community College.