FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (8-15, 3-9 SSC) will host conference opponent Florida Southern (18-7, 8-4 SSC) in the Arena at the Don Taft University Center this Friday at 7 p.m. The Sharks will finish out the weekend the next day, Nov. 6th against Rollins at 4 p.m.

The team is looking to shake up the conference standings with a solid win over both teams. The Sharks took first opponent Florida Southern to five games their first match up on October 2nd but fell 3-2. The Tars swept the Sharks in their first match up on October 1st 3-0.

NSU went 1-1 last weekend against SSC opponents Florida Tech and Lynn University, defeating the Panthers in four games and falling 3-0 to the Fighting Knights. The Sharks passed the 1,000 kills mark as a team finishing the weekend with 1,027 to average 11.94 kills per game. Jordan Pappas (So., Naperville, Ill.) is currently ranked 37th in the nation for assists and senior libero Kathleen Yony (Miami, Fla.) is ranked 42nd in the nation for digs. Danielle Graham (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) is ranked tenth in the SSC hitting percentage posting a .301.

Junior Paola Ruiz (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) posted 13 kills against Florida Tech and Anabely Escarpita (Jr., Boca Raton, Fla.) sealed the win with a double-double of 11 kills and 15 digs. Yony had 24 digs in effort of climbing her way to the number one spot of NSU’s all-time career digs record.

In the loss to Lynn, Rachel Woodson (So., Rogers, Ark.) recorded a match high of 12 kills while Yony recorded the team high of 15 digs. Pappas catered 32 assists but it wasn’t enough for the win.

About Florida Southern
The No. 4 Tampa Spartans (22-3, 11-1 SSC) defeated Florida Southern 3-0 last weekend to seal another conference win, securing their number one seed in SSC play. Florida Southern battled hard under Ashley Martin’s lead with seven kills. Lauren Huber and Diana Castrillon added six kills but were still out matched as a team, only hitting a .117 for the night. Huber, who is ranked third in the SSC for hitting percentage with a .365 and is second on the team in kills (228), will prove to be a threat in Fridays match.

Florida Southern sits fourth in SSC standings after coming off a spilt weekend. The Sharks took Florida Southern to five games their last match up on Oct. 2nd in Lakeland, Fla. but lost only by two in the fifth set. NSU’s Woodson led the match with 18 kills hitting a .412 for the match and looks to lead the team again. Ruiz and Molly Sigerich (Jr., Downers Grove, Ill.) were right behind with 14 and 15 kills respectively, while Jordan Pappas added 51 assists. Yony posted the match high of 30 digs to anchor the team defensively; if she can do it again she will only be four digs away from the all-time record.

About Rollins
Rollins had a clean sweep over Saint Leo this weekend to bounce back from their 3-1 loss to the then No. 4 Tampa just a few days earlier. The Tars were able to hold Lions to just .180 hitting percentage as a team by posting six team blocks. Sarah Mendoza led the team with 18 kills and is second in SSC standings for kills per game averaging 4.27. Camille Indest hit .500 with 14 kills of 26 attempts and Kiana Parks recorded 45 assists, allowing the team to hit .316 for the night.

In last match up against Rollins in Winter Park, Fla. on October. 1st, the Sharks struggled as a team and lost 3-0. The Sharks were led by Ruiz with 10 kills and Sigerich was right behind adding seven kills hitting a .217 for 23 attempts.