Lakeland, Fla.- #21 St. Thomas (12-1, 1-0 TSC), defeated Southeastern University (5-4, 0-1 TSC) in straight sets 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-20) to win its first conference game of the 2016-17 season. 

The Bobcats took control of the match swiftly, as they defeated the Southeastern Fire in three sets as STU was looking to continue adding W's to the win column. From the beginning the Bobcats were resilient, keeping SEU under 20 points in both the first two sets. Today's win was a collective team win, with not one Bobcat scoring over nine kills in the match. 

In the first set, with St. Thomas up 11-8, Shanotta Bawek and Marisa Markus went hastily one after the other in kills, receiving assists from Dana Nowaczyk which triggered the pace for the rest of set one and all of set two.

When the third set was upon STU, the Fire raged and showed they were willing to put up a fight. With the score in the third set at 22-20, St. Thomas, inches away from victory, decided it was time to end the match. The lethality of the Bobcats was clear when Bawek and Whitney Battoe earned the last two points for the team before an attacking error by Southeastern ended the match. 

Bawek and Markus each registered a team high of nine kills. Nowaczyk came up big, earning 20 assists with Priscila Ertty right behind her with 14. Bawek recorded a game high 12 digs, while Haley Bannister added 10 digs.

The Bobcats are back in action on Wednesday September 14th on the road at Keiser University at 7 p.m., as they look to take down another conference opponent. 

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