BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2
PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. - The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (3-10) played back-to-back matches in day two of the Setters Fall Classic Saturday at Pace University, splitting a pair of tournament matches. The Sharks opened the day with a strong 3-1 victory over Pace (6-10) but dropped a hard fought five-set match to Franklin Pierce (6-8), 3-2.
Leading the way for NSU offensively was
Sydney Cook (Fr., Miami, Fla.), who had 29 total kills and
Jordan Pappas (Jr., Naperville, Ill.) with 93 helpers on the day. Defensively,
Paige Boivin (Sr., Plainfield Ill.) held her ground defensively with 45 digs. Other notables were
Samantha High (Jr., Naples, Fla.), who added 26 kills along with her blocking contribution with
Rachel Woodson (Sr., Rogers Ark.).
The Sharks took on Pace in the first match of day two. Unlike yesterday’s start, the Sharks applied pressure right away in the first set, taking a four-point lead. NSU maintained that pressure and ran with their momentum at the right times, controlling the Setters offense and clinching the first set, 25-18. The Sharks' defense finished the first set with an impressive 18 digs.
In set two the Sharks and Setters almost swopped turns of momentum halfway through the set. The Sharks started strong, holding the lead midway through the match but after an 11-2 run by the Setters the Sharks quickly found themselves in a bit of a hole. NSU fought back but fell short by five, dropping set two, 25-20.
Set three was much like set one, where the Sharks never let their highs get to high and their lows get to low. NSU again never dropped away or pulled away with too big of a margin, but applied the right amount of pressure needed to take a 25-21 win in set three to go ahead, 2-1, in the match. The defense yet again stood their ground, digging a remarkable 22 attacks.
The fourth and final set was a point-for-point showdown. Tied at 10, the Sharks unleashed an eight-point momentum swing that the Setters couldn’t reverse. The Sharks put the hammer down, scoring 15 of the final 17 points to clinch the fourth set, 25-12 and to claim the victory 3-1. The Sharks had an impressive .303 hitting percentage which led to the strong finish.
Leading the Sharks in the first match were Cook with 15 kills, Pappas with 42 helpers and Boivin with 25 of the team's 71 total digs. High and Woodson combined for eight team blocks, four and four, respectively.
The Sharks had a 20-minute break before heading into their second match of the day against Franklin Pierce. Showing early signs of fatigue, the Sharks found themselves in a hole and with small spurts of offense, the Sharks were never able to recover, dropping the first set to the Ravens, 25-17. The Ravens came at the Sharks right away, hitting at .424 percent in the first set.
The Sharks were back in full force in the second set, creating as much as a nine-point margin between them and the Ravens. The Ravens tried to make a move on the Sharks but their 19 defensive digs prevented any chance of a late lead change. The Sharks held strong and evened the match, 1-1, with a second-set victory, 25-21.
In the third set, the Sharks slowly hacked away at the Ravens. NSU never gained too much of a lead, but equalized any of the Ravens' opportunities and capitalized on their errors. Starting off down three, the Sharks had an 8-2 run which gave them the lead and the momentum to take the third set, 25-19.
The fourth set was a solid battle at the beginning between both teams. Midway through the set, the Sharks scored 9-of-11 points to give them the lead and momentum. The Ravens fought back though to tie it late, 24-24, before taking the lead and the set, 26-24, to push a fifth set.
In the fifth and final set, the Sharks scored in clusters and took an 8-5 leaded before the switch. The Sharks seemed to fall on their heels, allowing the Ravens to gain momentum and the lead. The Sharks were unable to regain control, falling short, 15-13, in the final set to drop the match, 3-2.
The Sharks will return to conference play on Sept. 28 at home against Rollins at 7 p.m.
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