November 20, 2025
Cardiac Kids Advance to Final Four
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.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.- 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.
Things couldn't have started much better for the Bucs as former Cardinal Sara Gamboa picked up kills on the first two points of the game against her former squad and Giovanna Rocha started her big night with two kills after that to quickly put FSW up 4-0 to begin the first set. Trinity Valley answered, tying the score back up at 6 before taking their first lead of the match at 11-10. The Bucs got the next two points to retake the lead, but it was the last time in the set that they would score back to back points as the Cardinals retook a 15-13 lead moments later and stormed to the finish line, scoring the final five points of the set to win it 25-18 and go ahead 1-0 in the match.
The Bucs had trouble getting going early in the second as Trinity Valley put together three runs of three points or more in the first 20 points to get out to an 11-7 lead. The Bucs remained down four at 13-9 midway through the set when an attack error by the Cardinals gave them the ball back and sent them on a 10-0 run to flip the script on the set. A rocket from Gamboa tied the score at 13 and a big block by Rocha and Valentina Zevallos gave the Bucs a two point lead at 15-13. The Bucs continued to push, getting three straight kills from Gamboa to cushion the lead to 19-13 before holding off a late charge from the Cards to take it 25-21 to even the match at a set a piece.
Neither team could put any distance between themselves and their opponent to begin the third as after 18 points the Bucs and Cards were deadlocked at 9. Three straight from FSW gave the Bucs a 12-9 advantage as the set hit it's midway point and another big block from Zevallos and Rocha streched the Bucs lead to five at 16-11. FSW remained in control as Irina Makinen connected with Letizia Okonofua for a kill to put the Bucs up seven and back to back Rocha kills sealed things up as FSW took the third 25-17 to go ahead 2-1 in the match.
The Bucs looked like they were in complete control as they got out to a 9-4 lead in the fourth after back to back service aces from Magi Milicevic, but with their backs to the wall Trinity Valley counterpunched with a 9-3 run to take a lead of their own at 13-12 midway through the set. A perfect pass from Sarah Webb set up a middle attack for the Bucs that Aleksandra Lucic put away to put FSW back in front 18-17. Three straight from the Cards put Trinity Valley on top once again and the Bucs never led again as TVCC scored 8 of the final 11 points of the fourth to win the set 25-21 and force a deciding fifth set.
The Bucs were blocked on the first two points of the fifth and a kill by the Cards gave Trinity Valley a quick 3-0 advantage. The Bucs recovered from the slow start and tied the score at 4, but neither team could hold serve over the next 10 points as the set remained deadlocked at 9 as it hit the red zone. Trinity Valley got the next two to take an 11-9 lead before a kill from Gamboa and block from Zevallos and Rocha tied things back up at 11. Back and forth the Bucs and Cards went to a 13-13 stalemate with both team's Championship dreams in the balance. A miscue by the Cards gave the Bucs their first shot at match point and after a long rally, they capitalized on that opportunity as Okonofua found the floor with a cross court shot to win it for the Bucs 15-13.
Gamboa led the Bucs offensively against her former squad with 18 kills in the win while Rocha tied a career high with 17 kills while also posting a season high 7 blocks on the defensive end. Okonofua notched her second straight game with 15 kills and Zevallos tied a career high with 8 blocks for FSW. Webb pulled up 28 digs and also helped out with 9 assists, both career highs for the Bucs while Makinen distributed 53 assists to set a new program single season record with 1,056 on the year.
The Bucs defeat the Cards for the second time this season to improve to 26-3 on the year while Trinity Valley sees their upset bid fall just short as they drop to 29-7.
FSW advances to their fourth straight National Tournament Final Four where they will match up against #2 Weatherford Friday at 8 PM (ET) with a trip to the National Championship Game on the line.
