MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Tars opened Friday night's Sunshine State Conference matchup on the right foot, taking the first set from Florida Tech before the Panthers battled back to claim the next three, handing Rollins a four-set loss (25-23, 21-25, 17-25, 20-25) at the Clemente Center.

Cameron Grange led the Rollins attack with 12 kills, while Kayla Goodloe followed with nine. Vivian Scuteri added eight kills and was a force at the net with a solo block and three block assists, while Kai Hazelett chipped in seven kills.

Jenna Garza and Molly Morris split time directing the offense, finishing with 20 and 15 assists, respectively. Garza also did damage from the service line with four aces, while Aryanna Spainhower added five. Rylee Yarborough led the back row with 12 digs, with Grange adding nine and Garza eight. The Tars finished with 10 aces and eight total blocks on the night.

The Panthers grabbed the first point of the night, but Robinson Repass quickly answered with a kill before Goodloe and Hazelett went back-to-back to give Rollins its first lead at 4-3.

The Tars kept rolling from there. Scuteri got in on the action with a block before teaming up with Goodloe for another rejection, eventually putting down a kill of her own to cap a five-point Rollins run and stretch the advantage to 7-3.

Florida Tech began to chip away, pulling within one at 10-9, but the Tars answered once again. A Panther service error returned possession to Rollins before back-to-back Florida Tech miscues opened the door for Garza at the service line.

The setter took advantage, delivering consecutive aces to push the lead to 15-9 and force a Panther timeout. Grange and Repass helped keep the Tars in control out of the break before Goodloe, Hazelett and Grange each found the floor to make it 20-15.

Florida Tech refused to go quietly, rattling off four straight to pull within one. Remington Doggett stopped the run with a kill before a Repass block restored a three-point cushion at 22-19. The Panthers had one more answer, using a three-point swing to pull even at 22 before taking their first lead since the opening stages of the set, 23-22.

Doggett delivered when the Tars needed it, putting down a kill to even things at 23. Garza followed with an ace to bring up set point before Grange slammed the door with a kill, giving Rollins the opener, 25-23.

The second started as a back-and-forth battle, with neither side able to create much separation early. Goodloe and Garza found the floor before Grange added a kill to keep the Tars within one at 6-5.

Spainhower flipped the momentum from the service line, firing off three consecutive aces to put Rollins in front, 8-6. Garza later helped extend the advantage to 11-7 as a pair of Panther attack errors gave the Tars their largest lead of the frame.

Florida Tech slowly worked its way back, eventually pulling even at 12. Goodloe answered with a kill before Scuteri did the same to knot the frame again at 14, but the Panthers took control from there.

Florida Tech rattled off six straight points to build a 20-14 advantage. Rollins continued to battle, with Grange and Repass finding the floor before another Spainhower ace cut the deficit to 23-18.

Garza followed with an ace of her own before Repass and Goodloe teamed up for a block to bring the Tars within three at 24-21, forcing a Florida Tech timeout. The Panthers regrouped out of the break, putting down the final kill to take the second, 25-21, and even the match at one set apiece.

The sides continued to trade blows early in the third. Scuteri and Repass each found the floor before Grange added a kill to keep things even at three. Florida Tech created the first bit of separation with three straight, but Rollins responded. Grange started the answer with a kill before a pair of Panther errors and another Scuteri finish gave the Tars an 8-7 advantage.

The Panthers quickly swung the lead back their way, using another run to go ahead 11-8. Goodloe and Scuteri kept the Tars within striking distance, with Hazelett later finding the floor to make it 14-11.

Florida Tech began to pull away from there, stretching the advantage to five before a Scuteri kill and Panther miscue cut the deficit to three at 18-15. The Panthers responded with two straight, and despite another Scuteri finish, Florida Tech closed out the frame, 25-17, to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The fourth opened with Florida Tech taking a quick 4-1 advantage, but the Tars immediately began to fight back. Hazelett put down a kill before Scuteri and Goodloe teamed up for a block, with Grange later finding the floor to give Rollins its first lead of the frame at 7-6.

The two sides traded points from there. Scuteri, Goodloe and Hazelett all contributed as the score remained tight, with neither team able to create much breathing room through the middle of the set. Florida Tech finally created separation with a three-point run to make it 17-13. Doggett stopped the surge with a kill before Yarborough followed with an ace, trimming the deficit to two.

The Panthers answered with three straight to extend the lead to 20-15, but Grange kept the Tars alive with a kill. Spainhower followed with an ace after a successful Rollins challenge to make it 20-17.

Grange added another finish before Willow Barron came off the bench and put down a kill to keep Rollins within four. Goodloe fought off the first match-point opportunity with her fourth kill of the set, but Florida Tech answered on the next point to close the fourth, 25-20, and take the match in four.

Rollins moves to 10-11 overall and 3-7 in SSC play, while Florida Tech improves to 5-13 overall and 3-7 in conference action.

The Tars are back in action to take on #11 Barry in Miami Shores tomorrow, October 17, at 4 p.m.