Irina Makinen
-
- Height:
- 5'9
-
- Hometown:
- Salo, Finland
-
- Position:
- S
-
- Year:
- Sophomore
-
- m
- 31
-
- k/s
- 0.39
-
- h %
- .302
-
- a/s
- 10.49
-
- b/s
- 0.34
-
- sa/s
- 0.49
-
- d/s
- 1.59
Bio
*FCSAA Setter of the Week (Sept. 2, 2025)
*FCSAA Setter of the Week (Aug. 26, 2025)
*Battle at the Beach All-Tournament Team (2025)
*FCSAA All-Academic Team (2025)
Freshman (2024): Makinen helped lead the Bucs to the 2024 NJCAA National Championship, playing in 24 matches and averaging 4.54 assists and 1.18 digs per set. She recorded double digit assists in 13 different matches including the final six in the Bucs run to the National Title. Makinen came on strong down the stretch, setting or tying new career highs in assists in four straight postseason contests, dishing out 19 against Miami Dade in the FCSAA Championship match, following that up with 19 in the District Championship against USC Sumter, 21 against Eastern Wyoming in the Bucs National Tournament opener, and finally a career high 26 in their quarterfinal win over Utah State Eastern. One day later she posted her first career double-double with 15 assists and a career high 10 digs in a sweep of Colby to punch the Bucs ticket to the National Championship match.
High School: Makinen was the first player from a Nordic country to suit up for the Bucs in 2024, coming to Fort Myers from Salo, Finland where she prepped at Salon Lukio, leading her team to a Finnish Championship in A-Juniors in 2024.
Personal: Born February 16, 2005, she is the daughter of Paula Kullanmaki and Jyrki Makinen. She has an older sister, Katariina (24) and twin brothers, Lassi and Leevi (11).
| Career Highs | |
| Assists | 51 vs. #18 Daytona State (Oct. 4, 2025) |
| Digs | 13 vs. Eastern Florida (Oct. 22, 2025) |
| Aces | 6 vs. #18 Daytona State (Oct. 4, 2025) |
| Kills | 6 vs. Salt Lake (Aug. 28, 2025) |
| Blocks | 4 vs. Eastern Florida (Oct. 22, 2025) |
Updated 11/5/2025
| Overall | Conference | |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 31 | 12 |
| Sets | 109 | 44 |
| Kills | 43 | 11 |
| Kills per set | 0.39 | 0.25 |
| Errors | 11 | 5 |
| Total Attacks | 106 | 37 |
| Total Attacks per set | 0.97 | 0.84 |
| Hitting Percentage | .302 | .162 |
| Assists | 1143 | 481 |
| Assists per set | 10.49 | 10.93 |
| Service Total Attempts | 463 | 163 |
| Service Aces | 53 | 29 |
| Service Errors | 58 | 25 |
| Service Aces per set | 0.49 | 0.66 |
| Receptions | 2 | 1 |
| Reception Errors | 0 | 0 |
| Digs | 173 | 63 |
| Digs per set | 1.59 | 1.43 |
| Block Solo | 2 | 1 |
| Block Assist | 35 | 13 |
| Block Total | 37 | 14 |
| Blocks per set | 0.34 | 0.32 |
| Block Errors | 9 | 3 |
| Ball Handling Errors | 3 | 3 |
| Points | 115.5 | 47.5 |
| Points per set | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Matches started | 31 | 12 |
Game Log - Offense
| Date | Opponent | Score | ms | s | k | e | ta | pct | a | pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12 | at Florida Gulf Coast University | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 16 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 19 | at Eckerd College | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 22 | College of Southern Idaho | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | .800 | 33 | 5.0 |
| Aug 22 | #5 Utah State-Eastern | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .667 | 33 | 6.0 |
| Aug 23 | Snow College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .000 | 23 | 3.5 |
| Aug 23 | #10 Trinity Valley | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | .000 | 34 | 1.5 |
| Aug 28 | vs. College of Southern Idaho | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7 | .429 | 43 | 6.5 |
| Aug 28 | at Salt Lake Community College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 8 | .625 | 40 | 7.5 |
| Aug 29 | vs. College of Southern Nevada | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 17 | 1.0 |
| Aug 30 | vs. #16 Western Nebraska | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | .750 | 34 | 4.0 |
| Sep 5 | vs. Andrew College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1.000 | 18 | 3.0 |
| Sep 5 | vs. #2 Weatherford | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 36 | 4.5 |
| Sep 6 | vs. Jefferson College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 40 | 4.0 |
| Sep 6 | vs. USC Lancaster | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Sep 13 | Hillsborough Community College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 28 | 4.0 |
| Sep 17 | at Santa Fe College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .667 | 32 | 5.5 |
| Sep 24 | Polk State College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .500 | 29 | 5.0 |
| Sep 27 | at #16 Eastern Florida | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .000 | 50 | 1.0 |
| Oct 1 | at #2 Miami Dade | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .000 | 50 | 3.5 |
| Oct 4 | at #18 Daytona State | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .333 | 51 | 7.5 |
| Oct 8 | at Hillsborough Community College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 47 | 1.5 |
| Oct 11 | Santa Fe College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .667 | 28 | 6.0 |
| Oct 18 | at Polk State College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | .500 | 31 | 6.0 |
| Oct 22 | Eastern Florida State College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 5 | -.600 | 46 | 5.0 |
| Oct 25 | #3 Miami Dade | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 48 | 0.5 |
| Oct 29 | #20 Daytona State | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .000 | 41 | 2.0 |
| Nov 7 | #20 Daytona State | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | .800 | 44 | 6.0 |
| Nov 8 | #1 Miami Dade | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .667 | 36 | 2.0 |
| Nov 9 | USC Sumter | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 34 | 3.0 |
| Nov 19 | vs. #15 Mineral Area | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | 48 | 1.0 |
| Nov 20 | vs. #6 Trinity Valley | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | .000 | 53 | 2.5 |
| Nov 21 | vs. #2 Weatherford | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | .333 | 54 | 5.5 |
| Nov 22 | vs. #1 Miami Dade | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .500 | 32 | 1.5 |
Game Log - Defense
| Date | Opponent | Score | ms | s | digs | bs | ba | be | tot | bhe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12 | at Florida Gulf Coast University | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 16 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 19 | at Eckerd College | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 22 | College of Southern Idaho | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 22 | #5 Utah State-Eastern | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 23 | Snow College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 23 | #10 Trinity Valley | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 28 | vs. College of Southern Idaho | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 28 | at Salt Lake Community College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 29 | vs. College of Southern Nevada | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 30 | vs. #16 Western Nebraska | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 5 | vs. Andrew College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 5 | vs. #2 Weatherford | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Sep 6 | vs. Jefferson College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 6 | vs. USC Lancaster | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 13 | Hillsborough Community College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 17 | at Santa Fe College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 24 | Polk State College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 27 | at #16 Eastern Florida | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Oct 1 | at #2 Miami Dade | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 4 | at #18 Daytona State | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 8 | at Hillsborough Community College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Oct 11 | Santa Fe College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Oct 18 | at Polk State College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 22 | Eastern Florida State College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Oct 25 | #3 Miami Dade | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 29 | #20 Daytona State | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 7 | #20 Daytona State | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 8 | #1 Miami Dade | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 9 | USC Sumter | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Nov 19 | vs. #15 Mineral Area | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Nov 20 | vs. #6 Trinity Valley | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 21 | vs. #2 Weatherford | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Nov 22 | vs. #1 Miami Dade | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Game Log - Serve/Receive
| Date | Opponent | Score | ms | s | ta | sa | se | r | re |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12 | at Florida Gulf Coast University | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 16 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 19 | at Eckerd College | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Aug 22 | College of Southern Idaho | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 22 | #5 Utah State-Eastern | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 23 | Snow College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 23 | #10 Trinity Valley | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 28 | vs. College of Southern Idaho | L, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 28 | at Salt Lake Community College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 29 | vs. College of Southern Nevada | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 30 | vs. #16 Western Nebraska | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 5 | vs. Andrew College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 5 | vs. #2 Weatherford | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 6 | vs. Jefferson College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 6 | vs. USC Lancaster | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 13 | Hillsborough Community College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 17 | at Santa Fe College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 24 | Polk State College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 27 | at #16 Eastern Florida | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 1 | at #2 Miami Dade | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 4 | at #18 Daytona State | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 8 | at Hillsborough Community College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 11 | Santa Fe College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 18 | at Polk State College | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 22 | Eastern Florida State College | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 25 | #3 Miami Dade | L, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 29 | #20 Daytona State | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 7 | #20 Daytona State | W, 3-1 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 8 | #1 Miami Dade | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 9 | USC Sumter | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 19 | vs. #15 Mineral Area | W, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 20 | vs. #6 Trinity Valley | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 21 | vs. #2 Weatherford | W, 3-2 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 22 | vs. #1 Miami Dade | L, 3-0 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Statistic | m | s | k | k/s | e | ta | ta/s | pct | a | a/s | pts | pts/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | ||||||||||||
| Total | 31 | 109 | 43 | 0.39 | 11 | 106 | 0.97 | .302 | 1143 | 10.49 | 115.5 | 1.1 |
| Conference | 12 | 44 | 11 | 0.25 | 5 | 37 | 0.84 | .162 | 481 | 10.93 | 47.5 | 1.1 |
| Exhibition | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Location | ||||||||||||
| Home | 13 | 42 | 19 | 0.45 | 6 | 43 | 1.02 | .302 | 457 | 10.88 | 49.5 | 1.2 |
| Away | 7 | 28 | 12 | 0.43 | 2 | 29 | 1.04 | .345 | 301 | 10.75 | 32.5 | 1.2 |
| Neutral | 11 | 39 | 12 | 0.31 | 3 | 34 | 0.87 | .265 | 385 | 9.87 | 33.5 | 0.9 |
| Result | ||||||||||||
| Wins | 27 | 94 | 36 | 0.38 | 10 | 92 | 0.98 | .283 | 984 | 10.47 | 105.0 | 1.1 |
| Losses | 4 | 15 | 7 | 0.47 | 1 | 14 | 0.93 | .429 | 159 | 10.60 | 10.5 | 0.7 |
| Month | ||||||||||||
| August | 8 | 27 | 21 | 0.78 | 4 | 36 | 1.33 | .472 | 257 | 9.52 | 35.0 | 1.3 |
| September | 8 | 26 | 5 | 0.19 | 1 | 17 | 0.65 | .235 | 243 | 9.35 | 27.0 | 1.0 |
| October | 8 | 30 | 7 | 0.23 | 5 | 26 | 0.87 | .077 | 342 | 11.40 | 32.0 | 1.1 |
| November | 7 | 26 | 10 | 0.38 | 1 | 27 | 1.04 | .333 | 301 | 11.58 | 21.5 | 0.8 |
| Statistic | m | s | digs | d/s | bs | ba | tot | b/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | ||||||||
| Total | 31 | 109 | 173 | 1.59 | 2 | 35 | 37 | 0.34 |
| Conference | 12 | 44 | 63 | 1.43 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 0.32 |
| Exhibition | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Location | ||||||||
| Home | 13 | 42 | 76 | 1.81 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 0.40 |
| Away | 7 | 28 | 33 | 1.18 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0.25 |
| Neutral | 11 | 39 | 64 | 1.64 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 0.33 |
| Result | ||||||||
| Wins | 27 | 94 | 144 | 1.53 | 2 | 32 | 34 | 0.36 |
| Losses | 4 | 15 | 29 | 1.93 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.20 |
| Month | ||||||||
| August | 8 | 27 | 41 | 1.52 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 0.33 |
| September | 8 | 26 | 34 | 1.31 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0.27 |
| October | 8 | 30 | 47 | 1.57 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0.33 |
| November | 7 | 26 | 51 | 1.96 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0.42 |
| Statistic | m | s | ta | sa | sa/s | se | r | re |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | ||||||||
| Total | 31 | 109 | 463 | 53 | 0.49 | 58 | 2 | 0 |
| Conference | 12 | 44 | 163 | 29 | 0.66 | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Exhibition | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Location | ||||||||
| Home | 13 | 42 | 201 | 21 | 0.50 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Away | 7 | 28 | 75 | 17 | 0.61 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Neutral | 11 | 39 | 187 | 15 | 0.38 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Result | ||||||||
| Wins | 27 | 94 | 395 | 51 | 0.54 | 51 | 2 | 0 |
| Losses | 4 | 15 | 68 | 2 | 0.13 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Month | ||||||||
| August | 8 | 27 | 117 | 9 | 0.33 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 8 | 26 | 103 | 18 | 0.69 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| October | 8 | 30 | 114 | 20 | 0.67 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| November | 7 | 26 | 129 | 6 | 0.23 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
News mentions
After help lead the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers to a 53-5 record the past two seasons, sophomore middle Valentina Zevallos has signed to play at Southern Illinois University in 2026.
Florida SouthWestern fan favorite Magi Milicevic will be headed to the Division I level next season after signing with Binghamton University in New York.
Aleksandra Lucic made the most of her only season with the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers in 2025, earning 1st Team All-Conference and 3rd Team All-American honors while helping lead the Bucs to their fourth straight National Championship Game appearance. Now she will be taking her talents to New York after signing with Mercy College to continue her academic and playing career.
Following an All-American sophomore campaign with the Florida SouthWestern Buccaners, setter Irina Makinen has signed to continue her athletic and academic career next season at Eckerd College where she will reunite with FSW teammate Sarah Webb with the Tritons.
Following a pair of All-Conference seasons on the court with the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers, sophomore Giovanna Rocha will try her luck on the sand the next couple of seasons after signing to play Beach Volleyball at the University of South Florida.
After winning a pair of National Championships with the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers, sophomore outside hitter Sara Gasparini is off to the Division I level after signing to play at Morgan State University for the 2026 season.
The Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers list of AVCA All-Americans grew by two on Tuesday as Irina Makinen was announced as a 1st Team selection while Sara Gamboa picked up 2nd Team honors for the Bucs.
For the first time in program history, the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers had three players named to the NJCAA All-American teams on Tuesday as Irina Makinen led the way with 1st Team All-American honors, Sara Gamboa was named a 2nd Teamer for the second straight season, while newcomer Aleksandra Lucic was a 3rd Team selection.
The third time wasn't a charm, but the fourth time was for the Miami Dade Sharks on Saturday as the Sharks ended a three year National Championship run for the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers by sweeping the Bucs in the 2025 Championship Game in Clarksville, Tennessee.
With their backs to the wall, down 2-1 Friday night in the NJCAA National Tournament Semifinals, the #3 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers kept on swinging, coming from behind to defeat the #2 Weatherford Coyotes 3-2 to punch their ticket to their fourth consecutive NJCAA National Championship Game appearance where they will square off against none other than their arch rivals, the #1 Miami Dade Sharks for the fourth year in a row with the Championship on the line Saturday.
For the second straight season, the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers were pushed to the wire in their NJCAA National Tournament Quarterfinal match and for the second straight season they persevered as Thursday the Bucs won a five set thriller over Trinity Valley 3-2 to punch their ticket to the Final Four for the fourth consecutive year.
A pair of program records fell for the #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers on Wednesday in their opening round match at the 2025 NJCAA National Tournament in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Bucs hammered home 57 kills and setter Irina Makinen dished out 48 assists as FSW rolled past the #15 Mineral Area Cardinals to advance to the tournament quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive season.
The Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers are headed back to the NJCAA National Tournament to defend their crown after sweeping USC Sumter 3-0 in the Atlantic District Championships Sunday in Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
The 3-0 final score of Saturday's FCSAA Championship Game at Suncoast Credit Union Arena made things look lopsided in a matchup of bitter rivals in #3 Florida SouthWestern and #1 Miami Dade, but the three sets were separated by just eight total points, enough however for the Sharks to dethrone the Bucs from the top, ending FSW's run of three straight FCSAA Championships.
The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers banged home 58 kills to power their way to a 3-1 victory over the #20 Daytona State Falcons Friday night at the FCSAA Championships in Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers. Sara Gamboa led the Bucs with 21 kills while Irina Makinen dished out 44 assists and Sarah Webb pulled up 20 digs as FSW advanced to their fourth consecutive Championship Game appearance at the event.
On the eve of the 2025 FCSAA Championships at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, a league high seven Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were honored by the Citrus Conference on Thursday as they were named to the 2025 All-Conference Teams.
Eight Florida SouthWestern sophomores closed out their regular season careers with the Buccaneers in style on Wednesday night in Suncoast Arena as the 3rd ranked Bucs swept past the #20 Daytona State Falcons on Sophomore Night in Fort Myers to close the regular season 22-2 overall and 11-1 in Citrus Conference action.
If Saturday was any preview of what to come over the next month of the NJCAA Volleyball season, Florida SouthWestern fans are in for another dramatic finish in the Bucs quest for their fourth straight National Championship. The top ranked Bucs and 3rd ranked Miami Dade Sharks went toe to toe Saturday in Suncoast Credit Union Arena in a rematch of last year's National Championship match with the teams splitting the first two sets before the Sharks snuck out two point wins in the third and fourth to win the match 3-1 and hand FSW their first loss of Citrus Conference play.
In a matchup of a team who hadn't lost in a month in the #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers, and a team who hadn't won in a month in the Eastern Florida State Titans, the Bucs found themselves in a little bit more of a fight than they expected Wednesday night in Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Eastern came out and took the first set from the Bucs to put them on their heels, but FSW fought back to take the next three to win 3-1 and improve to 10-0 in Citrus Conference play on the year.
The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers picked up their 20th win of the season on Saturday, cruising past the Polk State Eagles 3-0 on the road in Winter Haven, giving the Bucs program 20 wins in each of the past six campaigns.
For the third straight week, Florida SouthWestern sophomore setter Irina Makinen has been named the FCSAA Setter of the Week as announced by the State on Tuesday.
Playing in front of their home crowd for the first time in three weeks, the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers put on a show Saturday afternoon in Suncoast Credit Union Arena, sweeping the visiting Santa Fe Saints for their 15th consecutive win to remain unbeaten in Citrus Conference play.
Three different players recorded career highs in kills Wednesday night as the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers shook off a slow start for their 14th straight win, going on the road and defeating Hillsborough 3-1 to improve to 18-1 on the year.
For the second straight week, Florida SouthWestern sophomore Irina Makinen has been named the FCSAA Setter of the Week as announced by the State on Tuesday.
After setting two new career highs in a pair of FSW wins last week, Florida SouthWestern freshman Letizia Okonofua has earned FCSAA Player of the Week honors for week seven of the 2025 season.
Coming off of a career high 15 kill performance in a win over #2 Miami Dade on Wednesday, Florida SouthWestern freshman Letizia Okonofua stepped up big for the top ranked Buccaneers once again on Saturday, hammering home 22 kills for the Bucs as they outlasted #18 Daytona State on the road 3-2 to wrap up the first round of Citrus Conference play a perfect 6-0.
For the second time this season, the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers have swept the weekly FCSAA Volleyball awards. Sara Gamboa was named the Player of the Week, Irina Makinen picked up another Setter of the Week nod, and Aleksandra Lucic earned her second Defensive Player of the Week selection.
After dropping the first set, the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers roared back to win the next three against the #2 Miami Dade Sharks Wednesday night in Miami to defeat the Sharks 3-1 in a rematch of the last three NJCAA National Championship Games. With the win, the Bucs 12th straight, FSW takes control of their own destiny atop the Citrus Conference standings as they look for their sixth consecutive league title.
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 #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers flexed their muscles Wednesday night in front of a spirited home crowd at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, hitting .507 as a team in a 3-0 sweep of the visiting Polk State Eagles in Citrus Conference action.
The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers rolled to their eighth consecutive win via sweep on Wednesday, dismantling the Santa Fe Saints in Citrus Conference play to improve to 13-1 on the year.
The #2 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back Saturday afternoon in their Citrus Conference opener against the Hillsborough Hawks, sweeping their old conference rivals 3-0 to improve to 12-1 on the year.
Florida SouthWestern Head Coach Cesar Benatti couldn't have drawn up a much better weekend for his team in their trip across the state to the Titan Classic in Melbourne as Saturday the 3rd ranked Bucs finished a clean sweep of the tournament with a pair of 3-0 victories over Jefferson and USC Lancaster to give FSW 12 set wins in 12 sets played in the event.
In the early season match of the year in the NJCAA Division I ranks, the #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers dominated the #2 Weatherford Coyotes Friday afternoon in Melbourne, sweeping the 'Yotes 3-0 after a 3-0 win in their opener of the Titan Invitational against Andrew to improve to 9-1 on the year.
For the second time in as many weeks to open the 2025 Volleyball season, Florida SouthWestern sophomore setter Irina Makinen has been named the FCSAA Setter of the Week as announced by the State office on Tuesday.
After registering 19 blocks in three matches over the weekend, Florida SouthWestern middle blocker Aleksandra Lucic has been named the FCSAA Defensive Player of the Week.
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.
With week one of the 2025 NJCAA Volleyball season in the books, three Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers have some extra hardware in their trophy cases as the FCSAA named Sara Gamboa the Player of the Week, Irina Makinen the Setter of the Week, and Sarah Webb as the Defensive Player of the Week.
Eight of the top teams in the country converge on Fort Myers for the 2025 Battle at the Beach hosted by Florida SouthWestern State College.
The #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers cruised to their fourth consecutive Battle at the Beach Tournament Championship, sweeping past Snow and #10 Trinity Valley to finish a perfect weekend at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Five FSW players were named to the All-Tournament Team with Sara Gamboa leading the way with MVP honors.
The #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers opened their 2025 season with a bang on Friday, sweeping Southern Idaho and #5 Utah State Eastern at the Battle at the Beach to start 2-0 for the fifth consecutive season.
The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers quest for a fourth consecutive NJCAA National Championship will start from the top rung on the ladder, as for the third straight season, the Bucs open the NJCAA year ranked #1 in the Division I Preseason Poll released on Monday.