BOX SCORE

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women’s volleyball team (4-14, 1-7) took on the No. 2 team in the nation in the Tampa Spartans (17-0, 8-0) Saturday at the NSU Arena and despite leading at several points in the match, the Sharks fell 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-14).

In the opening set, Samantha High (So., Naples, Fla.) and Danielle Graham (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio) tallied early kills for NSU to tie the score, 3-3. Molly Sigerich (Sr., Downers Grove, Ill.)notched her first kill of the match keep the Sharks within one, 8-7, but then the Spartans began to pull away, 16-12, following an Eva Dupay kill.

Lauren Lewkowicz (Fr., Coral Springs) and Rachel Woodson (Jr., Rogers, Ark.) registered kills following a Sharks timeout to even the score at 16-16. Despite battling back in the late stages of the set, the Tampa offense took control and secured a 25-18 set victory.

The Sharks opened an early 3-0 lead on the Spartans in the second set as Lewkowicz placed a great service ace and Graham and Jordan Pappas (Jr., Naperville, Ill.) teamed up to block a Tampa attack. NSU kept the lead at lead when Sigerich and High paired up for a block on a Dupay attack.

Errors plagued both teams during the middle of the set, but hit NSU a bit harder, as the lead shifted to Tampa, 16-14, forcing a Sharks timeout. Graham and Anabely Escarpita (Sr., Boca Raton, Fla.) recorded kills for the Sharks out of the break, but Danielle Selkridge notched three late kills to give Tampa the set, 25-18.

NSU once again gathered an early lead in the third set, going up 3-1 with a service ace from Sarah Shifflett (Fr., Boyton Beach, Fla.) and kills by Graham and High. The lead was short lived as the Spartans created a 14-10 advantage as Dupay recorded back-to-back service aces. The Sharks were unable to swing the momentum in their favor during the remainder of the set and Tampa captured the third set 25-14, and the match, 3-0.

Dupay led all attackers with nine kills, while Escarpita paced the Sharks with eight. Pappas tallied a match-high 17 assists.

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