November 8, 2025
Bucs Fall in FCSAA Title Game
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.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- 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.
It was another much anticipated matchup between the Bucs and Sharks for all the FCSAA marbles on Saturday in the two team's 15th meeting the past four seasons. As expected, tensions were high early on in the first with neither team able to gain an advantage through the first 22 points as they found themselves tied at 11. Miami Dade scored four of the next five to take a 15-12 lead, but three straight from FSW quickly knotted the score back up at 15. The Sharks block locked in on the Bucs hitters over the next 10 points, allowing Miami Dade to push back in front 23-19. A pair of kills from Magi Milicevic got the Bucs back to within two at 24-22, but the Sharks put a stamp on it with their 12th kill of the set to win it 25-22 and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Miami Dade got out to an early 8-6 lead in the second, but three straight from the Bucs on a kill from Giovanna Rocha, a Shark attack error, and a big ace from Sara Gamboa but FSW in front 9-8. The script repeated 10 points later as once again Miami Dade was up by two before three straight from the Bucs put them on top by a point 16-15. The Sharks came back to tie the score at 20 and the teams traded the next four points to a 22-22 deadlock. The Bucs had the first set point opportunity after a Milicevic ace to make it 24-23, but Miami Dade fought it off and had two chances of their own that FSW wouldn't give in on to make the score 26-26. The Sharks picked up another kill to make it 27-26 and this time the Bucs sealed their own fate with an attack error to give Miami Dade the set 28-26 to put the Sharks up 2-0 into the intermission.
The third was as tight as it could be early on as neither team had more than a one point lead until Patrycja Labucka got a kill to make it 9-7 FSW. Miami Dade found their footing and took the lead midway through the set, pushing it to a four point advantage at 17-13. With their backs to the wall, the Bucs slowly worked their way back into the set, getting a huge block from Gamboa and Aleksandra Lucic to draw to within one at 20-19 ahead of a Miami Dade timeout. The Bucs couldn't sustain the momentum as the Sharks pushed their lead to three and then to match point at 24-21. FSW remained alive with a Gamboa kill to make it 24-22, but their seventh service error of the match delivered the title to the Sharks as Miami Dade took the third 25-22 to complete the 3-0 sweep.
The Bucs hit a season low .137 despite recording 42 kills in the match, hampered by 24 attack errors that included 16 Miami Dade blocks. For the first time all season, no Bucs reached double digits in kills as Lucic led the way with 9 while also pacing the club with 3 blocks. Irina Makinen finished with 36 assists while Sarah Webb led the Bucs with 19 digs.
Gamboa, Makinen, and Webb were all named to the All-Tournament Team while Miami Dade's Eleonora Gicheva earned Tournament MVP honors.
FSW drops to 23-3 overall on the year and sees their streak of three straight FCSAA Championships come to an end while Miami Dade moves to 24-2 while collecting their 43rd all-time FCSAA Title.
The only bit of good news for the Bucs Saturday is that courtesy of their trip to the title game, they earn a spot in Sunday's Atlantic District Championships where they will take on the Fire Ants of USC Sumter in an 11:00 start from Suncoast Arena with a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament on the line. Miami Dade will take on Andrew College in the other District Championship game afterwards at 2:00.