#2 Miami Dade Outlasts Daytona State in Four Sets

The No. 2–ranked Miami Dade College volleyball team kept its strong start to conference play rolling with a 3–1 victory over Daytona State on Wednesday night. The Sharks improved to 13–1 overall and 2–0 in conference play, while the Falcons dropped to 7–7 and 1–1.

Daytona came out swinging, edging Miami Dade 27–25 in a tightly contested opening set. But the Sharks quickly settled in, responding with back-to-back dominant frames, winning 25–18 and 25–21. In the fourth, Miami Dade held off a late Falcon rally to secure the match, 25–23.

Miami Dade's attack was led by Luyeisy Marquez-Moreno and Angelica Rodriguez, who each tallied 18 kills, combining for 38 points between them. Eduarda Fabricio added nine kills with an efficient .312 hitting percentage, while Maria Fernanda de Lima Varela contributed five kills and a match-high seven blocks at the net. Setter Eleonora Gicheva orchestrated the offense masterfully, dishing out 45 assists and anchoring the defense with 20 digs. Katianna Mejía Betancur also shined on the back line with a team-leading 18 digs.

As a team, Miami Dade hit .224 for the match, including a blistering .343 in the second set, while limiting Daytona to just .076 overall.

Daytona State was paced by Charizma Lofton, who registered 15 kills on 42 swings, and Chloe Danielson, who added five kills and chipped in two aces. Despite their efforts, the Falcons struggled with consistency, hitting under .100 in three of the four sets.

The Sharks continue conference play this week as they look to extend their winning streak and defend their national top-five ranking.