Pirates Battle to Semifinals at FCSAA Championship Tournament

Pensacola State 3, Indian River 2 (25-21, 20-25, 22-25, 25-14, 15-12)

Pensacola State entered the FCSAA Championship tournament as the No. 3 seed, opening play against host team and No. 6 seed Indian River in a packed gym for Friday's 10 a.m. matchup.

The Pirates came out swinging, racking up 12 kills to take the first set. From there, the match turned into a back-and-forth battle, with both teams fighting tooth and nail for every point. After dropping the second and third sets, PSC responded with urgency in the fourth, dominating 25-14 behind another 12 kills. In the decisive fifth set, the Pirates accelerated down the stretch, closing out a nail-biter to advance to the semifinals.

Pensacola State's attack was relentless, finishing with 54 kills and 15 blocks as a team. Catie Woolf led the offense with 16 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double. Sofia Ortiz was a force at right side, tallying 12 kills and hitting .321. Middle blockers Reece Varden and Marisa Beaubien chipped in eight kills apiece, with Beaubien dominating defensively with 11 blocks.
Setting duties were shared by Lauren Schuessler (23 assists, 16 digs) and Kendall Judge (19 assists, 11 digs). The Pirates' defense was equally impressive, recording 74 digs, with five players in double figures: Schuessler (16), Ella Pinches (12), Judge and libero Addison Danforth (11 each), and Woolf (10).

Pirates Fall Short in Semifinal Against St. Johns River

Pensacola State 1, St. Johns River 3 (22-25, 17-25, 25-20, 15-25)

Just hours later, Pensacola State returned to the court to face No. 2 seed St. Johns River in the semifinal round. After two regular-season losses to the Vikings, the Pirates were eager for redemption.

PSC came out with energy but struggled offensively early, dropping the first two sets. The Pirates fought back in the third, notching 12 kills to take the set 25-20. However, St. Johns River responded with a dominant fourth set, pulling away to secure the match and end Pensacola State's championship hopes.

Despite the setback, the Pirates showed resilience throughout the tournament and were rewarded with an at-large bid to the NJCAA National Championship. The national tournament will be held November 19–22 at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.