Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (13-15, 6-10 SSC) fell to the No. 1 Tampa Spartans (28-1, 16-0 SSC), 3-0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-11).

Dana Holger (Jr., Lino Lakes, Minn.) led the team with eight kills, followed by Sydney Cook (Jr., Miami, Fla.) with seven. Katie Pyles (So., Denver, Colo.) notched a team-high 18 kills while Candice Johnson (Sr., Chuluota, Fla.) tallied nine digs.

The Sharks took the first marginal lead of the match in the opening set. With the score tied at four, a kill by Holger and a Spartans error pushed NSU to a 6-4 lead. Tampa was able to score two points to bring them up one, but the Sharks garnered a match-high, .357 hitting percentage to fight back. NSU went on a five-point push to push the score to 11-6, off two kills by Devyn Main (Fr., Port Charlotte, Fla.), a service ace from Pyles and three Tampa errors. However, a 7-1 run by the Spartans allowed Tampa to regain the lead before closing the set, 25-17.

The Spartans went on an early eight-point run in the second set for a, 10-2, lead. NSU was able to take the side out and cut the deficit to seven on a three-point rally off two Spartan errors and a kill by Cook at 11-4.  NSU scored five more points in the rest of the set, with two kills by Cook and Holger and a service ace by Brandi Marquis (Fr., Lynn, Ind.), before Tampa took a 2-0 match lead with a 25-9 win.

Back-to-back kills by Holger created an early final set tie at two. The Spartans took the first major lead on a four point rally, 6-2, and never looked back. Off back-to-back kills by Cook, NSU was able to come within two points at 6-4, but that was the closest the Sharks would get, as Tampa closed the set, 25-11.

The win closes head coach Jennifer King's inaugural season with an overall record of 13-15, going 6-10 in the SSC, a program best since 2009.