Box Score
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (8-14, 3-8 SSC) came out on fire against Florida Tech (10-16, 1-10 SSC) defeating the Panthers, 3-1, on its annual Dig Pink night in the Arena at the Don Taft University Center Friday night.
In front of its third largest crowd in NSU history of 575 fans, the Sharks took game one, 25-18. After falling in the second set, 25-23, NSU was relentless taking sets three and four, 25-23.
Juniors
Anabely Escarpita (Boca Raton, Fla.) and
Paola Ruiz (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) both recorded double-digit kills with 13 and 11, respectively, in its second win over the Panthers this year. Escarpita got her fifth double-double of year adding 15 digs. Senior libero
Kathleen Yony (Miami, Fla.) had a match high 24 digs, as she inched her way closer to breaking the career dig record of 1,698.
It was only the second match all season that NSU has defeated a team that had a higher attack percentage for the match. The Panthers hit .206 on 55 kills as the Sharks only had 51 kills hitting .187.
As a team, the Sharks served 10 aces in the match, led by Ruiz who tallied four.
Quickly down 2-0 in the first set, Yony recharged the Sharks by serving back-to-back aces in a 4-0 run by NSU to take an early 4-2 lead. Sophomore
Danielle Graham (Cincinnati, Ohio) helped extend the Sharks lead by five with one of her nine kills in the match, forcing Florida Tech head coach to call a timeout.
Up 18-10, the Panthers crept back in the set, using five straight points to pull within three but NSU head coach Steve Wilcosky strategically called a timeout and killed FIT's run. Escarpita downed a ball from sophomore setter
Jordan Pappas (Naperville, Ill.) to take the first set 25-18 and a 1-0 lead.
In set two, both teams battled back-and-forth as the crowd saw four lead changes. Down by one at 10-8, the Sharks took the lead on an 8-2 run. Florida Tech was not shaken as NSU had a 23-20 lead but the Panthers scored five straight points, using two back-to-back blocks and evened the match at one apiece.
In the third set, the Sharks shuffled its way back into the match after trailing 18-14. Ruiz served an ace and the Sharks used two Panther errors to pull back within one. Escarpita slammed two of three balls down to take a 22-20 lead. Graham and Ruiz stuffed a Florida Tech attack to reach set point and Graham found the open court to take the 2-1 lead, winning the third, 25-23.
NSU gave the Panthers its 10th conference loss this season as they won the fourth set, 25-23. Hitting only .212 in the frame, the Sharks capitalized on six service errors by Florida Tech. Sophomore
Rachel Woodson (Rogers, Ark.) and junior
Molly Sigerich (Downers Grove, Ill.) blocked FIT's Shelby DeNeices' attack, who was the match leader in kills with 16, to end the match and record the win.
On Sunday, the Sharks host Lynn at 2 p.m. in the Don Taft University Center for its annual Kills for Candy match.
Follow NSU Volleyball this weekend on twitter through
www.twitter.com/NSUSharks.
