August 30, 2025
Benatti Tops Old Squad to Round Out Crystal InnVitational
The #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers wrapped up their trip to the Rocky Mountains with a special win for first year Head Coach Cesar Benatti on Saturday as the Bucs swept the #16 Western Nebraska Cougars, the team Benatti got his coaching start with and won a National Championship during the 2010 season.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah- The #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers wrapped up their trip to the Rocky Mountains with a special win for first year Head Coach Cesar Benatti on Saturday as the Bucs swept the #16 Western Nebraska Cougars, the team Benatti got his coaching start with and won a National Championship during the 2010 season.
The first set was close early until a 4-0 run pushed the Bucs out in front 11-5. Western Nebraska trimmed the lead down to four midway through before Aleksandra Lucic came up with a kill and then a block behind it to start a five point run for FSW to open things up to 20-11. The Bucs got to set point on a kill from Sara Gamboa and their block did the rest as Patrycja Labucka and Valentina Zevallos combined for a stuff to give FSW the set 25-13 to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
It was all FSW early in the second as they jumped out to a quick 11-3 lead thanks to a potent offensive attack that saw the Bucs rack up eight kills in the first 14 points of the period. A 5-0 Cougar run got Western Nebraska back into the game but FSW responded by scoring seven of the next eight to blow it back open to a nine point lead at 20-11. With the finish line in sight, the Bucs stepped on the gas once more, scoring the final four points of the set to take it once again 25-13 to go ahead 2-0 at the intermission.
Western Nebraska had their best stretch of the match early in the third as they played even with the top ranked Bucs through 16 points with the score tied at 8. The Bucs took over from there though, getting three straight kills from Gamboa to take an 11-8 lead and parlaying that moments later into an 18-11 advantage after an ace from Sarah Webb. The teams played even from there, but that wasn't enough for the Cougars to overcome their deficit as Magi Milicevic finished things off with a kill on the outside to give the Bucs the third 25-19 and wrap up the 3-0 sweep.
The Bucs hit an efficient .378 in the match, finishing with 41 kills, led by Gamboa's 11 and Milicevic's 9. Makinen dished out 34 assists while Webb paced the back row with 11 digs and Lucic stood tall at the net with 6 blocks.
FSW finishes the Crystal InnVitational 3-1 and moves to 7-1 overall on the year while Western Nebraska remains winless at 0-7.
The Bucs return to the Sunshine State next weekend when they travel to Melbourne to take part in the Titan Classic hosted by Eastern Florida State. They will take on Andrew and #4 Weatherford Friday before squaring off with Jefferson and USC Lancaster on Saturday to wrap up non-conference play.