October 22, 2025
Webb & Rocha Record Career Highs as #1 FSW Gets Past Eastern
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.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- 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 first was nip and tuck from the start as neither team held more than a two point lead through the first 30 as the Bucs and Titans had nothing settled midway through the set as they were tied at 15. A pair of Eastern hitting errors and a kill from Letizia Okonofua changed that as FSW went ahead 18-15 but the Titans scored five of the next six points from there to take a one point lead of their own at 20-19. A kill from Giovanna Rocha tied things back up and back to back blocks from Aleksandra Lucic gave the Bucs three shots at set point, leading 24-21. Two straight attack errors from the Bucs followed by an Eastern ace tied the score at 24 and the teams traded the next four points to a 26-26 deadlock. A block by the Titans gave Eastern their second set point try and an attack wide by the Bucs sealed their fate as the Titans earned their first ever set win in Fort Myers against FSW with a 28-26 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
It was tight early again in the second as FSW held a one point lead at 7-6 to get things going before a five point run at the service line by Magi Milicevic padded the Bucs lead to 12-6 midway through. FSW kept their distance from the Titans from there, getting back to back aces from Lucic to push the period to set point before Okonofua put it in the books with a kill on the outside to give FSW the set 25-15 and even the match at a set a piece.
The third was tied at 13 different points including 5-5, 10-10, and 15-15 as neither team managed to take hold of the crucial third period. Okonofua got the Bucs next four kills from there and an ace from Irina Makinen gave the Bucs some breathing room with a 22-19 lead late in the set. Eastern got three of the next four to tighten things back up to one, but the Bucs got kills on both pins from Milicevic and Rocha to put the bow on a 25-22 win in the third to go up 2-1 in the match.
A rash of errors early in the fourth put the Titans behind the eight ball from the start as the Bucs were gifted a 7-2 lead as they looked to close things out in four. Makinen hooked up with Valentina Zevallos in the middle to make it 14-10 Bucs midway through the set and a huge block from Milicevic and Lucic padded the advantage to six at 17-11 moments later. A highlight reel dig from Sarah Webb led to a Bucs transition kill to make it 22-17 FSW, but Eastern roared back with four straight points to make it a one point game at 22-21. A kill from Okonofua got the Bucs back on track before Makinen closed things out in style with back to back aces to win it as FSW took the fourth 25-21 to win the match 3-1.
Four different players recorded 10 or more kills for the Bucs including Rocha who finished with a career high 17 while not committing a single error to hit .515 in the match while also collecting 12 digs for her second double-double in conference play. Okonofua had 13 kills for the Bucs while Milicevic and Zevallos each had 10. Makinen posted a 46 assist, 13 dig double-double and was also in on a career high 4 blocks. Webb led the back line with a career high 27 digs and Lucic paced the Bucs at the net with 7 blocks.
Prior to the game, the Bucs honored their 2025 MVPs (Most Valuable Professors) by having them accompany them on the court for pregame introductions.
FSW extends their win streak to 17 as they improve to 21-1 overall and 10-0 in Citrus Conference play where they clinch a first round bye for the upcoming FCSAA Championships in Fort Myers. Eastern Florida drops their seventh straight to fall to 0-11 all time against the Bucs while seeing their season record fall under .500 for the first time at 11-12 and their Citrus Conference mark drop to 2-8 with two games to go.
The win for the Bucs sets up an epic showdown in Suncoast Arena Saturday afternoon as #1 FSW hosts #3 Miami Dade in a rematch of each of the past three FCSAA and NJCAA National Championship Games. The Bucs and Sharks will tangle at 2 PM with a win sealing the Citrus Conference Championship for FSW and a Miami Dade win putting the Sharks back in the hunt.