WINTER HAVEN – In a matchup of top-10 teams, No. 1 Florida SouthWestern State College proved too much for Polk State Volleyball on Tuesday night, winning 3-0 in straight sets.

The shorthanded Eagles (3-2, 0-1 Suncoast) didn't score more than 14 points in any set in their home and Suncoast Conference opener. Their lone lead was a short-lived 2-1 advantage early in the second set.

"We want to play with a lot of effort and energy," Polk State Head Coach German Del Valle said. "I think we did that. Obviously, we have to play a lot better to beat a team like that, but scores don't always indicate how hard you played."

The 10th-ranked Eagles finished with 23 attacking errors and just 20 kills. Andrea Da Silva led Polk State with six kills. Irene Mostardini paced the team with nine digs. Del Valle appreciated the emergence of freshmen such as Carolina Guerreiro and Andreina Aybar.

"We discovered some things that will help us later," Del Valle added. "We had some positives tonight."

Barbara Kohler, who entered ranked fifth nationally in kills per set, led Florida SouthWestern State (5-0, 1-0) with 13 kills on Tuesday night. Maria Cecilia added nine kills and a match-high 13 digs in the victory.

Polk State has now dropped consecutive matches after a 3-0 start to the season. The Eagles will play four matches in three days in Nevada as part of the College of Southern Nevada Coyote Classic, beginning on Thursday against No. 9 Utah State University Eastern.

"At Polk, it doesn't matter how you play in September," Del Valle said. "It's about how you play in October."