Box Score WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Things just didn't go the way No. 14 Polk State Volleyball had hoped for on Sophomore Day on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles struggled with playing out of rhythm throughout the day, as Polk State was swept by No. 4 Miami Dade College in straight sets.
The bright spot of the day was being able to honor the 10 graduating Polk State sophomores prior to the match. The student-athletes were accompanied by family and friends to be honored with a special presentation by Polk Head Coach Dayanna Barbosa and Director of Athletics Stanley Cromartie. Among those a part of the ceremony was former Polk Head Coach German Del Valle.
"It was nice to be able to honor our sophomores and show them how much they mean to this program," shared Barbosa. "Unfortunately, we did not play our best volleyball today and will have to get back to work in practice to correct some mistakes so we can get back on track with where we need to be."
The Eagles (11-8, 7-5 Citrus Conference) brought their best fight in the opening set, using a 10-5 run to tie the match 14-14 after trailing early. Sophomore outside hitter
Keionna Mackey recorded five of her six kills in the opening set. Polk was unable to close things out down the stretch, as Miami Dade took the first set, 25-22.
Polk struggled to absorb the pressure of the Sharks' attack in the second set, as Miami Dade cruised to a 25-13 win.
As Coach Barbosa began to ensure the entirety of the sophomore class saw the court in the final set, the Eagles continued to battle to avoid the sweep, but eventually succumbed to the Sharks 25-18 in the third. It marked the first time all year that Polk State lost in straight sets.
Sophomore outside hitter
Crismeyli Rodriguez battled at the net for the Eagles over the final two sets, depositing four kills in each set and finishing with a team-best nine. Freshman middle blocker
Loes Peijnenburg led the team in blocks with five total — her second straight match with five or more.
Polk State finishes out the regular season next week with a pair of road matches. Up first, the Eagles head to Ft. Pierce on Wednesday to take on Indian River State College. Match time is set for 6 p.m.
