BOX SCORE

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women’s volleyball team (2-7, 0-1 SSC) played host to the Saint Leo Lions (5-3, 1-0) Tuesday evening at the NSU Arena. The Lions took home a 3-1 (25-18,21-25, 25-13, 25-21) victory.

The match opened to a 5-5 tie with Anabely Escarpita (Sr., Boca Raton, Fla.) tallying the Sharks first two kills. The Lions then opened up a 10-5 lead with two kills from both Emily Calderon-Reyes and Danielle Bletso. Lauren Lewkowicz (Fr., Coral Springs, Fla.) got the Sharks within four, 10-6, with her first kill of the match, but it would be as close as NSU would get for the remainder of the set as Saint Leo cruised to a 25-18 victory.

In the second set, the Sharks built an early 7-3 lead with kills from Escarpita and Lewkowicz. The Lions recovered and eventually tied the set, 13-13. Danielle Graham (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio) responded with a kill to put the Sharks back on top. Following a Saint Leo timeout, Escarpita slammed another kill to give NSU a four-point advantage it would not relinquish, capturing the set, 25-21.

Despite two early kills from Graham in the third set, Saint Leo built a 14-4 lead, as Bletso notched four of her match-high 18 kills. Escarpita would add another kill to her total, and Lewkowicz tallied two more, but it was not enough to mount a comeback as the Lions sailed to a 25-13 win to take a 2-1 set advantage.

The fourth set was much more competitive as Molly Sigerich (Sr., Downers Grove, Ill.) evened the score, 13-13, with one of her four kills. The Lions continued to build small leads, but a Lewkowicz service ace knotted the score once again, this time, 20-20. Attack errors would serve as the Sharks demise in the final stages of the set though, as the Lions took the set, 25-21, and the match 3-1.

Although the match did not go in the Sharks’ favor, Lewkowicz had a breakout performance in her young career, tallying 15 kills, while attacking at a .353 clip. She also added two services aces and 11 digs for NSU. Escarpita also reached double-digit kills, recording 11. Kristina Eric (So., Bosnia) registered 37 assists, her season high.

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