ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The top-seeded Flagler College volleyball team railed from a two-set deficit to defeat No. 5 Lander University in the semifinal round of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Tournament Friday night at Flagler Gymnasium. The Saints completed the reverse sweep with a 3-2 victory winning 22-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-11, 15-12, to advance to the PBC Championship match.
  
QUOTES FROM COACH
"When it comes to tournament time, records and past games just don't matter. Seeing the way Lander played last night against Augusta is all the evidence you need. So, it's not surprising that we found ourselves in the midst of a really good battle tonight. All the credit in the world to Lander for executing a solid game plan. They played a great match tonight." Jeff Reynolds stated.

"I'm proud of the way our team came together in that third set and turned things around to complete the reverse sweep. We had a number of players step up and take control of the match. It was all about focus. Once we were able to focus in on certain aspects of the game, we were able to get things rolling. That focus allowed us to step up our serve game and our passing game. Once we got those things rolling, we were able to get our offense in sync and made some critical plays. It was a great team effort. We are looking forward to getting back on the court tomorrow and compete for the conference championship." Reynolds ended

Flagler vs. Lander
Score: Flagler 3, Lander 2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-11, 15-12)  
Location: St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gymnasium)  
Records: Flagler (27-3, PBC 15-0), Lander (8-20, PBC 4-11)
  
OPENING VOLLEY  

• Marley Middlebrooks recorded her 22^nd double-double of the season with 24 kills and 16 digs. Middlebrooks added one ace and one block assist for 25.5 points.
• Katherine Rank recorded a season-high 16 kills with a .414 hitting percentage. Rank added one solo and block assist for 17.5 points.
• Gia Lowe posted her second double-double 14 kills and 14 digs, while posting a .265.
• Gracie Fleming generated 11 kills and a .360 hitting percentage. Fleming added two block assists and three digs.
• Jilly Young posted her sixth double-doubles while commanding the Saints' offense with a team-high 49 assists and 16 digs.
• Amelia Fitzpatrick and Emmi Cheek anchored the Saints' defense. Fitzpatrick posted a team-high 19 digs, while Cheek added 18 digs and added one assist. Caity Clancy added 12 digs and three serves.

 
THE DIFFERENCE  

• Lander took control late in the opening set after Flagler jumped out to an early 6-3 advantage. The Bearcats battled back to even the score at 10-10 before using a late scoring run to build a 21-17 lead. The Saints attempted to rally, cutting the deficit to one at 21-20, but Lander closed out the set by scoring four of the final six points to take the opener 25-22.
• The Bearcats carried their momentum into the second set, building an early 7-5 advantage. Flagler responded with a run to take an 11-8 lead, but the teams continued to trade points before Lander regained control late. The Saints trailed 21-17 and attempted another comeback, but a kill from Gracelyn America helped the Bearcats secure the 25-22 victory and take a two-set lead.
• Flagler responded in the third set, jumping out to an early 4-1 advantage and finding its offensive rhythm. The Saints recorded 17 kills while committing just two attack errors, hitting .405 in the set. Behind the efforts of Marley Middlebrooks, Katherine Rank and Gracie Fleming, Flagler pulled away to take the third set 25-17 and keep its comeback hopes alive.
• The Saints continued to build momentum in the fourth set, using a strong offensive and defensive effort to take control early. Flagler recorded 13 kills while hitting .385 and limited Lander to just five kills in the set. The Saints steadily extended their advantage before closing out the set with a dominant 25-11 victory to even the match at two sets apiece.
• With the match on the line in the fifth set, Flagler came out firing, building an early 4-0 advantage. The Saints continued to apply pressure and extended their lead to 14-3 behind strong serving and timely offensive execution. Lander attempted a late rally, but Middlebrooks delivered the final kill to seal the 15-12 victory and complete the reverse sweep.

 
NOTABLES

• Flagler advances to the Peach Belt Conference Championship match for the third consecutive season.
• Flagler recorded its 27th victory of the season with the semifinal win.

 
COMING UP 
The No. 1 Flagler Saints will face the No. 2 USCA Pacers for the 2026 Peach Belt Conference Championship at 2 p.m. in the Flagler Gymnasium tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 14.
 
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