Roy Allen, Florida SouthWestern, and Stephen Delgado, Miami Dade contributed to this release

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Miami Dade College won the FCSAA DI Volleyball Championship on Saturday, defeating Florida SouthWestern State College in straight sets. 

After three straight years of heartbreak at the hands of Florida SouthWestern, the Sharks flipped the script Saturday afternoon at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, sweeping the three-time defending champions 25-22, 28-26, 25-22 to capture the 2025 FCSAA DI Championship and hand the Bucs their first home sweep loss since 2019.

It was another much anticipated matchup between the Bucs and Sharks for all the FCSAA marbles on Saturday in the two team's 15th meeting the past four seasons. As expected, tensions were high early on in the first with neither team able to gain an advantage through the first 22 points as they found themselves tied at 11. Miami Dade scored four of the next five to take a 15-12 lead, but three straight from FSW quickly knotted the score back up at 15. The Sharks block locked in on the Bucs hitters over the next 10 points, allowing Miami Dade to push back in front 23-19. A pair of kills from Magi Milicevic got the Bucs back to within two at 24-22, but the Sharks put a stamp on it with their 12th kill of the set to win it 25-22 and take a 1-0 lead in the match. 

Miami Dade got out to an early 8-6 lead in the second, but three straight from the Bucs on a kill from Giovanna Rocha, a Shark attack error, and a big ace from Sara Gamboa but FSW in front 9-8. The script repeated 10 points later as once again Miami Dade was up by two before three straight from the Bucs put them on top by a point 16-15. The Sharks came back to tie the score at 20 and the teams traded the next four points to a 22-22 deadlock. The Bucs had the first set point opportunity after a Milicevic ace to make it 24-23, but Miami Dade fought it off and had two chances of their own that FSW wouldn't give in on to make the score 26-26. The Sharks picked up another kill to make it 27-26 and this time the Bucs sealed their own fate with an attack error to give Miami Dade the set 28-26 to put the Sharks up 2-0 into the intermission. 

With the championship within reach, the Sharks refused to let go. In the third set, Luyeisy Márquez Moreno and Angelica Rodríguez sparked a 6–2 run to build a 20–17 cushion. FSW attempted one final push, cutting it to 24–22, but fittingly, a Buccaneer service error ended the rally and sealed Miami Dade's long-awaited championship sweep sending the bench into a frenzy.

Miami Dade's Eleonora Gicheva earned Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors and head coach Kiko Benoit received the Mary Andrew Award, presented to the FCSAA DI Volleyball Coach of the Year. 

Neither Florida SouthWestern nor Miami Dade are in the national tournament just yet. By advancing to the FCSAA title game, both teams move into Sunday's Atlantic District Championship matches against foes from Regions 10 and 17.