Box Score FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (8-9, 3-5 SSC) fell to the Tampa Spartans (14-1, 7-0 SSC), 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-17) Friday at the NSU Arena in the Don Taft University Center.
Sydney Cook (Jr., Miami, Fla.) and
Caitlin Donahue (Jr., Miami, Fla.) were both one short of double figure kills with nine, accounting for 18 of the 27 kills on the night.
Kaelyn Brock (Fr., La Quinta, Calif.) led the team in digs with 12, while
Katie Pyles (So., Denver, Colo.) notched 23 of the team's 24 assists.
Tampa took the first set, 25-15, but the Sharks made it close fight early on. Tampa jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but kills and a service ace from the duo of Donahue and Cook allowed the Sharks to go on a four-point run and tie the set at six. The Spartans went on their first 5-1 run of the night after the tie and did not look back. Tampa kept their lead for the rest of the set before closing with a 10 point win.
The Spartans began the second frame with a 6-1 lead, before the Sharks cut the difference to three on a kill by
Victoria Jones (Fr., Ocala, Fla.) and two errors by Tampa. The scored stayed within three until Tampa created a seven-point lead on a 6-0 run. NSU was unable to get any closer than six for the rest of the way as the Spartans went up, 2-0, with a 25-14 victory.
The final set saw the Sharks' highest hitting percentage of the match, as NSU was able to stay within three for the majority of the game. However, the Spartans gathered for an 8-1 run midway through, building a 16-7 lead. The Sharks managed to cut their deficit to four on a four-point rally, but that was the closest the Sharks would get for the remainder of the match. Tampa closed the match with a 25-17 set win.
The Sharks return to out-of-conference road play to participate in the South Region Crossover, hosted by Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. beginning Oct. 17.
