LAKELAND, Fla. — No. 7 Southeastern finished the Fire Duals with a 2-0 record, knocking off Keiser and No. 15 Hastings both by the scores of 37-6.
 
Against Keiser, the Fire picked up a forfeit at 197, and a pin by Trillyon Fils-Aime at 184. Sal Silvastarted the match with an 18-3 technical fall at 157. Stephen Kelle (174), and Kael Brisker (141) also scored techs.
 
In the match against Hastings, the Broncos took the first match and a 3-0 lead after a tough loss for Trace Braun who got the first takedown of the match but followed with an upset win by Wyatt Kirkham over No. 3 and returning All-American Taygen Smith by the count of 5-2. With the bout tied 2-2 going to the third, Kirkham was given an escape to start the period and fended off numerous shots by Smith and ultimately scored on a takedown with 36 seconds remaining and rode out the match for the win.
 
“I knew that I needed to stick with my leg attacks and I would be alright,” Kirkham said. “It gives me more confidence because it’s pretty much my first year wrestling in college after redshirting and coming back from an injury, so it feels good to finally be able to wrestle.”
 
Gage Braun picked up another win at 285, coming away with a technical fall, as did Xavier Williamsonat 133.
 
“I thought they were two good team wins and pretty unique we finished with the same score,” said coach Travis Patrick. “We had a ton of good matches across the board, even in losses.”
 
The Fire will head to the Missouri Valley Invitational next weekend in Marshall, Mo.  
 
SOUTHEASTERN 37, KEISER 6
157 – Salvador Silva (Southeastern) over George Zertopoulis (Keiser University ) TF 18-3
165 – Dominick Lomazzo (Southeastern) over Adam El-Damir (Keiser University ) Dec 6-4
174 – Stephen Kelle (Southeastern) over Mitchell Clark (Keiser University ) TF 17-2
184 – Trillyon Fils-Aime (Southeastern) over Brett Bosserman (Keiser University ) Fall 2:55
197 – Blake Rypel (Southeastern) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Earnest Johnson (Keiser University ) over Caleb Hardeman (Southeastern) Dec 6-2
125 – Isaac Crowell (Southeastern) over Riley Stevens (Keiser University ) Dec 6-0
133 – Bryce Gonzalez (Keiser University ) over Michael Bush (Southeastern) Dec 4-1
141 – Kael Brisker (Southeastern) over James Berline (Keiser University ) TF 21-6
149 – Andreus Bond (Southeastern) over Carlos Bogan (Keiser University ) Maj 19-5
 
SOUTHEASTERN 37, HASTINGS 6
157 – Thomas Stevenson (Hastings (Neb.)) over Trace Braun (Southeastern) Dec 9-4
165 – Wyatt Kirkham (Southeastern) over Taygen Smith (Hastings (Neb.)) Dec 5-2
174 – Trenton Munoz (Hastings (Neb.)) over Stephen Kelle (Southeastern) Dec 8-2
184 – Trillyon Fils-Aime (Southeastern) over Dominick Leon (Hastings (Neb.)) Dec 6-0
197 – Blake Rypel (Southeastern) over Riley Dement (Hastings (Neb.)) Fall 0:26
285 – Gage Braun (Southeastern) over Henry Jones (Hastings (Neb.)) TF 16-1
125 – Isaac Crowell (Southeastern) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
133 – Xavier Williamson (Southeastern) over Andy Rojas (Hastings (Neb.)) TF 21-4
141 – Kael Brisker (Southeastern) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
149 – Maxwell Kauffman (Southeastern) over Dylan Crawford (Hastings (Neb.)) Dec 9-4

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CLEVELAND – For the first time in the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup history, Keiser University takes home the Cup with 950 overall points. The Seahawks took home three NAIA titles – women’s soccer, women’s golf and women’s lacrosse – and finished second overall in both men’s and women’s tennis. Prior to this year’s Directors’ Cup win, Keiser finished in the top-four the past three seasons that the Cup was awarded.

Indiana Tech finishes second with 881.50 points, taking home four national championships – women’s bowling, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and women’s outdoor track and field.

In third is Indiana Wesleyan, finishing the year with 856.50 total points with five top-five finishes – women’s basketball, women’s cross country, cheer, men’s indoor track and field and women’s tennis.

Oklahoma City finishes fourth overall with 723.25 points, including a national championship in cheer and runner-up finish in dance.

Rounding out the top-five are the Knights of Marian with 717.25 points, including two third place showings, women’s soccer and men’s bowling.

At the conference level, the Mid-South and Crossroads League and The Sun Conference lead all conferences with a pair of institutions in the top-10.

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LAKELAND, Fla. – In another instant classic between Southeastern and Keiser, the Fire came away with their second Sun Conference Tournament title with a 4-2 win in a shootout after tying 2-2.

During the shootout, junior goalkeeper Holly Eddins made back to back saves on the second and third Keiser shooters, diving to her left against Emma Holmskov, and diving to her right to guide Alicia Drott’s shot just wide of the post.

“It felt so good, it was just instinct and a lot of prayer to be completely honest,” said Eddins. “This championship means everything. We’ve been working hard and have been preparing for this moment and it feels great.”

Eddins finished the match with nine saves and was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

“We were excited about the shootout not just because of the quality of players we had on ball, but also having Holly in goal and you just feel that confidence,” said coach Alan Berrios. “She pushed through and is committed and that’s why she’s special.”

After Summer Rusher, Naira Lopez, and Gabriela Labrador made their shots, senior Aisha Solorzano stepped to the spot and drilled the ball into the back of the net to secure the title.

“My mindset was send it to the back of the net and hit it hard,” said Solorzano. “It was a special moment for us. Both sides played a really good game, but it was so nice to win and win at home.”

Keiser got on the scoreboard first with a goal in the 42^nd minute when Drott received a long feed from the midfield and sent it just inside the far post.

The Fire got off to a quick start in the second half, getting a long shot from Makayla Peddycoart in the 49^th minute. In the 58^th, Labrador put a ball into the keeper off a free kick and Jennifer Luna knocked it free and into the back of the net to give SEU the lead.

“This group of girls bought into a system that was based on effort and working hard and never giving up,” said Berrios. “When we went down we talked about bouncing back and bringing the fight.”

Keiser answered with a goal by Holmskov in the 66^th to force extra time.

With the win, the Fire clinch a trip to the NAIA National Tournament which will begin at campus sites April 15^th.

“They love each other, they absolutely love each other,” said Berrios of the team. “They care for one another and they sacrifice for one another.”

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Here are the Fall 2020 NAIA honorees:

Individual Honors

Player of the Year: Abbie Seward, Keiser, Sr.
Coach of the Year: James Rogers, Keiser

All-Southeast Sports Net Volleyball Fall 2020

FIRST TEAM

OH – Giovana Larregui Lopez, Coastal Georgia, Jr.
OH – Courtney Pressley, Reinhardt, So.
OH – Abbie Seward, Keiser, Sr
MB – Amber Dilsaver, Keiser, Jr.
MB – Madelyn Haut, Ave Maria, So.
S – Erinn Marroquin, Reinhardt, Sr.
S – Abby Maxwell, Truett McConnell, Sr.
DS – Reilly Fulton, Freed-Hardeman, Sr.
DS – Allison Ruddick, Union (Ky.), Sr.

SECOND TEAM

OH – Arianna Bolinger, St. Thomas, Jr.
OH – Cabriella Bouterse, Ave Maria, Jr.
OH – Alysha Tullar, Midway, Sr.
MB – Shayna Baugh, Union (Ky.), Jr.
RS/MB – Emily Boehlein, Southeastern (Fla.), Sr.
S – Kyleigh Beecham, St. Thomas, So.
S – Kamelia de Jesus, Columbia International, Fr.
S – Katie Grose, Ave Maria, So.
S – Lily Witoski, Ave Maria, So.
DS – Holly Heath, Reinhardt, Jr.
DS – Rheagan Kean, Bryan, Sr.
DS – Cierra Williams, Tennessee Wesleyan, Jr.

* The All-MWSN Teams come from programs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

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LAKELAND, Fla. – Southeastern had a tough day on offense against the unbeaten Seahawks of Keiser in the regular season finale.
 
The Fire hit just .030 as a team in a 3-0 loss (25-16, 25-9, 25-13) to Keiser on Senior Day.
 
While the offense may have struggled, the Fire showed great effort and hustle on the defensive end, generating 43 digs and three blocks.
 
Keiser hit .341 in the first set with 19 kills and just four errors. The Seahawks had just nine attacking errors for the match.
 
Senior Morgan Swanger led the offense with nine kills, and also added nine digs and a par of assists. Senior Hannah Kaszubowski paced the back row with 13 digs and added three kills and an ace. Katie Chillura added 12 digs and two assists.
 
Julia Alves was in on three blocks to help the defense at the net.
 
Ashtyn O’Shea recorded 16 assists.
 
The Fire will travel to Ave Maria on Friday for the quarterfinals of The Sun Conference Tournament.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo – Keiser (Fla.) opens the 2020-21 season at No. 1 in the first edition of the Women’s Swimming & Diving Coaches’ Top 10 Poll.

Receiving Votes: Bethel (Ind.) 9, St. Ambrose (Ill.) 9, Midland (Neb.) 4

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LAKELAND, Fla. – Despite trailing by two scores at multiple points during the game and having a third-string quarterback in the game, the Fire still had themselves in a position to tie or take the lead at the end.

Unfortunately, the rally came up just short as Southeastern dropped its first game of the season to Keiser, 31-28.

The Fire defense held the Seahawks to just 62 yards of offense in the second half after racking up 246 in the first half.

Keiser (4-0) got off to a fast start, going 62 yards on four plays on their first possession with Marques Burgess scoring the first of his three touchdowns on the night from 15 yards out. The Seahawks got a 78-yard punt return from Michael Robinson to set up a three-yard TD run by Burgess to put KU up 14-0 just over five minutes into the game.

Southeastern answered back with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Jones to Wendell Harris on their next drive, converting on third-and-goal.

Following a three-and-out, the Fire got a 33-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Eugene Witherspoon on fourth-and-nine to tie the game.

With 9:22 left in the second, Burgess picked up 40 on third-and-four to give Keiser the lead back. The teams traded interceptions late in the quarter, with Keiser using theirs to set up a 20-yard field goal at the end of the half to go up 24-14.

The Fire defense forced a quick three-and-out to start the third quarter, then recovered a fumble at the one-yard line on the next possession which set up a Jones QB sneak to get the Fire back within three.

“I was proud of the effort of our guys and the way they fought back,” said coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval. “Unfortunately we dug too big of a whole and made too many mistakes tonight.”

However, the ensuing kickoff was returned 89 yards for a touchdown by Caleb Walls to put the lead back at 10.

Southeastern got it back to three, using an Eddie Graham interception to take over at the Keiser 40. Six plays later, Bryan Bell scored from three yards out for his fourth touchdown run of the season.

The Fire had one last chance at the end of the fourth after the defense got a turnover on downs at their own seven. Demetrius Burns found Witherspoon for a 50-yard completion to get into Keiser territory, then got to the 33 after the Seahawks were hit with a facemask penalty, but Burns was intercepted in the end zone to ice the game.

Witherspoon finished with five catches for 134 yards. The Fire struggled to get the run going as five different ball carriers netted 92 yards.

The Fire return to action next week at Ave Maria.

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MIAMI, Fla. – Keiser, last year’s Sun Conference Regular Season Champion, has been selected as the 2020 Sun Conference Volleyball preseason favorite, as voted on by the league’s eight coaches.  

Coaches were unable to vote for their team. 

Keiser received 43 total points and three first-place votes. The Seahawks followed closely by Florida Memorial with 40 points (three first-place), Southeastern with 38 points (one first-place), and Coastal Georgia with 33 votes. 

St. Thomas was picked fifth with 22 points while Ave Maria was selected sixth with 21 points. Warner (15 points), and Webber International (12 points) round out the poll. 

Keiser (29-10, 13-3 TSC) was led by 2019 TSC Coach of the Year James Rogers, who guided the Seahawks to a school-record 29 wins while securing the program’s first Sun Conference regular season championship. 

Florida Memorial (22-11, 11-5 TSC), picked second in this year’s poll, claimed the first Sun Conference Tournament championship in 2019 with a five-set win over Coastal Georgia. Under first-year head coachMarrita Crockett-Moulton, FMU captured their first Sun Conference championship in any sport since 2012. 

Southeastern (selected third) finished last season with 21-10 record (11-5 TSC) earning the No. 3 seed in last year’s tourney while Coastal Georgia (fourth in this year’s poll) compiled a 20-9 mark (12-4) in 2019, earning the No. 2 overall seed. 

The 2020 season is set to start on Saturday, September 5, with six schools in action, including league play between Southeastern at Florida Memorial, and Coastal Georgia at St. Thomas. Both matches are set for 2:00 p.m. 

The 2020 Sun Conference Volleyball Championship will begin with quarterfinal action on November 10 at campus sites (higher seed hosting). The semifinals (November 13) and finals (November 14) will be hosted by the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.   

2020 Sun Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll 

Rank       School (First Place Votes)                     Votes 

1             Keiser (3)                                            43  
2             Florida Memorial (3)                            40 
3             Southeastern (1)                                 38 
4             Coastal Georgia                                   33 
5             St. Thomas                                          22 
6             Ave Maria (1)                                       21 
7             Warner                                               15 
8             Webber International                         12 

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