FT. MYERS, Fla. - No. 17 Polk State Volleyball went toe-to-toe with the reigning national champions on their home court on Friday with a spot in the FCSAA Championship on the line. The Eagles traded sets with No. 1 Florida SouthWestern State College before ultimately falling in four sets.
 
Errors proved to be a major difference maker in the contest, as the Eagles (13-10) committed 27 attack errors while the Buccaneers (25-1) committed 17.
 
Despite sophomore outside hitter Keionna Mackey pacing the Eagles with five kills, Polk dropped the first set to FSW, 25-19. With the set tied 16-16 after a kill by Mackey, the Buccaneers ended the session on a 9-3 run to close things out.
 
The Eagles retaliated with a resilient second set which showcased Polk's culture of family. Down 13-10, Polk rattled off an 8-0 run to take a 18-13 lead.
 
Irene Mostardini aced two serves during the run that put the Eagles in the driver's seat of the set. Despite a late surge by FSW in the session, two kills each from Martina Gonzato and Mackey propelled Polk State to a 25-21 win to even the match.
 
Florida SouthWestern found its rhythm over the last two sets, hitting .375 in the third and .290 in the fourth. The Buccaneers committed just two errors in 63 attack attempts over the final two sets as they took both convincingly by scores of 25-15 and 25-13.
 
Mackey finished with a team-high 15 kills — her ninth match with 15 or more kills this season. Gonzato and Carolina Guerreiro Cruz were second on the team in kills with seven each. Madi O'Sullivan led Polk in assists with 19, while Mostardini topped the squad with 21 digs — her ninth outing with 20 or more digs this season.
 
With the hopes of improving their resume for an at-large bid to the national NJCAA Tournament, the Eagles will take on Daytona State College semifinal match on Saturday at noon.