FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Palm Beach Atlantic volleyball team(2-0, 0-0 Sunshine State Conference) secured two decisive 3-0 victories during the Sharks Invitational at Rick Case Arena, first defeating UNC Pembroke (0-2, 0-0 Conference Carolinas) and then Middle Georgia State (0-2, 0-0 Peach Belt Conference).
The Sailfish recorded impressive hitting percentages of .327 against UNCP and .281 against MGA, while limiting their opponents to .156 and .081, respectively. The 'Fish featured a mix of newcomers and returners throughout the day with seven newcomers making their Sailfish debut.
"Always good to start 2-0," PBA head coach
Jeff Huebner said. "We had so many good first matches for our Sailfish today. Ava was really good as a six rotation player today along with Sydney. Katie ran an incredibly efficient offense in her three rotations. Sofia demonstrated why we think she will be an elite libero as she understands the position better. We are looking forward to a couple more opportunities tomorrow to improve and grow."
Looking ahead, Palm Beach Atlantic will face Middle Georgia State again on Saturday, at 2:30 p.m. followed by a match against the hosting Nova Southeastern Sharks in a non conference matchup at 4:45.
Match One - PBA: 3, UNCP: 0
In the match against UNC Pembroke, the Sailfish initially faced an early deficit in the first set but quickly bounced back, thanks to a service ace from
Juliana Imbuzeiro, followed by key contributions from
Ava McIntyre and
Sydney Corbett. PBA rallied from an 18-12 deficit to level the score at 19-19, ultimately winning the set 25-21 by capitalizing on the Braves' errors.
The second set saw PBA start strong with a 5-0 run, highlighted by kills from Imbuzeiro and
Simi Kapustova, as well as two service aces from Imbuzeiro. The Sailfish maintained control throughout, ending the set with a 25-19 victory, finishing on an opponent's service error.
In the concluding set against UNCP, Corbett led the charge with several crucial kills, supported by assists from Imbuzeiro and
Katie Silcott. PBA sealed the match with a 25-16 victory, taking advantage of the Braves' service errors.
Corbett led the offense against UNCP with 13 kills on 24 attempts, while McIntyre added 12 kills and a team-high 14 digs. Imbuzeiro facilitated the attack with nine assists and three aces, and Silcott contributed with 22 assists.
Match Two - PBA: 3, MGA: 0
Against Middle Georgia State, the Sailfish started the first set strong, with a block by
Kaelynn Sims leading to an early lead. Timely kills from
Erin Guffin and McIntyre helped PBA secure a 25-16 win, aided by the Knights' errors.
In the second set, the Sailfish continued to build momentum with an early ace from Imbuzeiro and maintained a comfortable lead, eventually winning 25-16. Corbett and Sims delivered key attacks, while Sedmack and Guffin added crucial points.
The third set opened with a kill from Corbett, establishing a 5-1 lead. Despite a late push from MGA that narrowed the score to 23-21, PBA closed the match with a kill from Sedmack, taking the set 25-21.
McIntyre was particularly efficient against MGA, recording ten kills and a .391 hitting percentage.
Sofia Augusto showcased her defensive prowess with 20 digs, while Sedmack added ten kills and a service ace. Imbuzeiro orchestrated the play with 16 assists and one block.
