GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Spectators at the Santa Fe College Gymnasium had plenty of reason to be loud and proud on Thursday night, as Santa Fe College Volleyball concluded the 2021 season on a high-note with a thrilling 3-1 victory over visiting Polk State College, 12-25, 25-18, 25-14, 26-24.

On NJCAA Day and Sophomore Night, the Saints snapped a 13-game losing streak by outperforming the Eagles in the final three sets, sending fellow student-athletes onto the court to celebrate with the Saints.

The theme of NJCAA Day was "In This Together," centering around the upcoming 50th anniversary of Title IX, equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts (EDI), sportsmanship, and NJCAA pride. Despite a challenging season, the Saints stayed together on this night to earn the hard-fought, sweet victory. Here's how it happened in the SF Gymnasium…

Set 1 – PSC 25, SF 12

Their weren't too many highlights from Set 1 for the Saints, as Polk State rolled to a comfortable victory.

Set 2 – SF 25, PSC 18

The slow start didn't damper the mood in the venue, however, and the Saints were able to come alive in a big way in Set 2. 

The Saints let a 10-5 lead disappear after a 9-1 run from Polk State, but SF maintained their composure and started to find more success in the attack.

SF trailed 17-15 before impressively claiming 10 of the set's final 11 points, and finished with 12 kills as a team in the frame. 

Set 3 – SF 25, PSC 14

The Saints raced out to an 11-4 lead, with the final two points of that stretch coming off kills from Elizabeth Klein and Abbey James.

All of the Saints continued to contribute in their own way, and SF went ahead 2-1 in the match by accounting for the last six points in the third set, sending the crowd into a frenzy with just one set left to preserve. 

Set 4 – SF 26, PSC 24

The fourth set went back-and-forth, until Polk State was the first to gain a little separation, claiming a three-point lead, 18-15.

Still trailing by three, 21-18, SF dug down and eventually drew even, tying it at 23-23 on a kill form Cali Conner.

After a Polk State point, the Eagles had an opportunity to force a fifth set, but Conner once again ignited the crowd with a kill.

SF won the match with an attack error from Polk and an emphatic putaway from sophomore Katelyn Crofts from the right side, putting the finishing touches on perhaps the Saints' best outing in the final match of the season. 

SWEET VICTORY ON SOPHOMORE NIGHT! The Saints conclude the 2021 season on a high-note in front of the Saints' faithful, defeating Polk State 12-25, 25-18, 25-14, 26-24. What a night in Gainesville on #NJCAADay! pic.twitter.com/XVjqykjBoA

— SF Saints Volleyball (@SFsaintsvball) October 22, 2021

Key Statistics

• The Saints earned their first win over Polk State since the inaugural 2014 season.
• Cydnee Eubanks was simply amazing in the libero position for the Saints, tallying a season-high 39 digs.
• The freshman Klein set a new season-high mark with a team-high 12 kills while hitting for an attack percentage of .303.
• Crofts had the final kill, which was one of her 11 on the night to match a season-high.

The Cheronis Perspective

 "We felt that if we all brought our A game that we could compete with them. That certainly happened tonight. It was not the season we were hoping for at the beginning, but what a great way to end."

Sophomore Night

Six student-athletes were recognized for their contributions to the program after the match on "Sophomore Night" (from left to right below): Katelyn Crofts, Kassidy Bolling, Emily Register, Amelia MacCallum, Emily Loose, and Abbey James. 

Although the 2021 campaign was not typical of the Saints' success, finishing 4-16 overall and 3-13 in their first season in the Suncoast Conference, the sophomore group had plenty of notable achievements. Among them, Emily Register was a part of two conference championship teams in 2019 & 2020, and Katelyn Crofts will go down as the program's all-time leader in blocks.