Lady Falcons Go 1-3 at Vipers Sports Academy Classic 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Florida College volleyball team kicked off the new season at the Vipers Sports Academy Classic, hosted by Keiser University. 

University of Saint Francis 

The Lady Falcons had a slow start to their season against the University of Saint Francis. They dropped their first two sets 17-25 and 22-25, before mounting a comeback in winning their third set 25-22 that fell short as the Lady Falcons dropped their fourth and final set 12-25. Saint Francis' Paige Fortkamp led the match with 16 kills, alongside Cassidy Lee and Raquel Teixeira with 11 and 10 kills apiece, leading the way for the Lady Falcons. 

Truett-McConnell University 

The Lady Falcons bounced back in the second match of the day and swept Truett-McConnell University 25-15, 25-14, and 25-20. The Lady Falcons overpowered the Bears, almost doubling their kill total of 25, finishing the match with 40 team kills. Assisting on 31 of those 40 kills was senior Madi Lee, who registered two kills of her own. 

University of Mobile 

Following their rebound win against Truett-McConnell, the Lady Falcons were hot on the heels of the University of Mobile Rams, but ultimately fell short in four sets, 24-26, 21-25, 27-25, and 21-25. There were a combined 107 kills in this match, with the Rams tallying 57, and the Lady Falcons collecting 50 kills. Senior Carolina Ramalheira led the team with 15 kills and scored 16 total points for the Lady Falcons. 

Olivet Nazarene University 

In the fourth and final match of the tournament, the Lady Falcons faced off against the Olivet Nazarene University Tigers. Again, the Lady Falcons surged in the third set, but were not able to complete the comeback losing in four sets 20-25, 14-25, 25-22, and 21-25. Florida College's Madi Lee led the match with 38 of the Lady Falcons' 43 assists. Lee was named the Continental Athletic Conference Setter of the Week for her performance at the classic. She averaged 9.07 assists per set, with 136 over four matches. 

"The tournament was a fun experience. It allowed us to see where we are as a team and showed us how much potential we have this year. I am excited to continue playing with these girls," said Madi Lee. 

"We loved attending the Viper Classic. We faced great competition right at the start of our season. The girls practiced together for the first time only five days before our first game," said head coach Kerri Mitchell. "They showed strong work ethic, persistence, and a great look at the team chemistry to come. We are ready to get this season going." 

Florida College will host their annual Labor Day Tournament this weekend, August 30-31 in Conn Gymnasium. Their tournament begins the 30th at 5 PM against Doane University and continues later that evening at 7 PM when they face off against Trinity Baptist College.