DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – No. 15 Santa Fe volleyball took home the Mid-Florida Conference Championship on Wednesday evening, sweeping past No. 17 Daytona State College.

The victory was the Saints' seventh straight win, all of which have been sweeps.

Although No. 15 Santa Fe entered the match already having automatically advanced to the NJCAA Region 8 Championships, there was much to play for, and the Saints made the most of it to win the conference title outright.

The conference championship is the fourth in the history of the Santa Fe volleyball program, which started in 2014 under the direction of Head Coach Nick Cheronis.

The Saints won the Mid-Florida Conference Championship in the inaugural 2014 campaign, the Panhandle Conference crown in 2018 and 2019, and now the Mid-Florida Conference title once again this season.

On the memorable night, setter Maria Hernandez became the program's career-leader in all-time assists, surpassing the previous benchmark of 1224 from Farah Rajaee. (2014).

Here is how the match played out in Daytona Beach…

Set 1 – SF 25, DSC 19

The Saints fell behind 3-1 before rattling off seven unanswered points, forcing a Daytona State timeout.

Santa Fe stayed in front the rest of the way, with Daytona State never getting any closer than three points. Right when the Falcons made a little push to draw to within four 18-14, a 5-1 spurt from the Saints extended the gap, and Santa Fe's final point came from an attack error from the hosts.

Set 2 – SF 25, DSC 16

The teams went back-and-forth in Set 2. With Santa Fe clinging to a 17-15 lead, the Saints turned up the level of play with six consecutive points to grab a 23-15 advantage.

The run was spearheaded by play at the net, including a number of impressive plays from middle blocker Katelyn Crofts.

An Amelia MacCallum ace sealed the set, and the Saints marched closer to the victory with a 2-0 lead.

Set 3 - SF 25, DSC 20

Similarly to the second set, the third went back-and-forth and was neck-and-neck.

With Santa Fe holding a 20-19 lead, a Samantha Caglianone kill followed by a block from Crofts and Hernandez forced a Daytona State timeout.

The Saints kept on executing in the clutch, however, and earned a championship-point at 24-19 after a block from Caglianone and Crofts.

After the Falcons picked up a point, Hernandez finished the deal with an emphatic kill, starting the celebration inside the Lemerand Center.

Your Saints are the Mid-Florida Conference Champions! No. 15 Santa Fe swept No. 17 Daytona State to cap off a remarkable regular season with a 15-2 overall mark and 6-0 record in conference play. Looking forward to the postseason! pic.twitter.com/ZcJq4ddIDx

— SF Saints Volleyball (@SFsaintsvball) March 11, 2021

Key Statistics

Lilli Bentz had nine kills and was efficient with a .421 hitting percentage. Katelyn Crofts caused problems for Daytona State at the net all match long and finished with seven kills and a .429 hitting percentage.

The Cheronis Perspective

Head Coach Nick Cheronis: "The story of the match was defense," said Head Coach Nick Cheronis. "We had nine blocks and 66 digs tonight."

On winning another conference title, the fourth during his time at the helm of the Saints' program: "Championships are won by a collective group that is willing to put their own goals aside for the good of the team. That is a rare quality in this 'me first' world we live in. I can't say enough good things about this group. They will leave a lasting legacy that will go on for a long time."

Up Next

The regular season has concluded for No. 15 Santa Fe, who currently holds a 15-2 overall record and 6-0 mark in the Mid-Florida Conference. The Saints now prepare for the upcoming NJCAA Region 8 Championships, which are scheduled to take place from Thursday, March 25 through Saturday, March 27 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Stay tuned to santafesaints.com for all of the latest updates on Santa Fe volleyball as they begin preparations for postseason play.