TAMPA -- The 2015 regular season has come to a close as the Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (19-12, 9-7 SSC) dropped a four-set decision to the No. 6 Tampa Spartans (26-5, 15-1 SSC) on Saturday afternoon. The Sharks fell at the Bob Martinez Center 25-27, 25-7, 25-17, 25-11.
"It's touch to end the regular season with a loss, but that doesn't change what an outstanding season we've had," head coach Jenn King said. "I could not be more proud of this team for how much they have worked to turn the program around, and I'm excited to watch the selection show with them on Monday night at 7:30 p.m."
A supercharged NSU team took the floor to start the match on Saturday as the Sharks battled to a 27-25 win in the opening set and held Tampa's high octane offense to a .103 team hitting percentage. The Spartans jumped out to a 7-4 lead to start the set, but NSU stayed close and eventually tied it 9-9. The Sharks fought off nine consecutive ties and then took a 19-18 lead. After consecutive timeouts by Tampa, the Spartans regained a two-point lead, but it was NSU that went on a 5-1 scoring run to take a 1-0 lead to start the match.
After an impressive start to the match, NSU struggled offensively in the second set and Tampa exploded hitting a blistering .536 team percentage. From the opening serve, it was the Spartans all the way as they evened the score 1-1 with a 25-7 win in the second.
The Spartans continued to dominate in the third and fourth sets. Although the Sharks opened with the first point in set three, Tampa went on to take a 2-1 lead in the match outscoring NSU for the 25-17 win of the third set. The final frame ended much like the third. NSU grabbed the first-point lead, but the Spartans duplicated their third set performance and took the final set 25-11 to win the final regular season Sunshine State Conference match 3-1 over the Sharks.
Senior Dana Holger (Lino Lakes, Minn.) led the Sharks with 13 kills, which was her 25th match this season she reached double-digits in kills. For the season, she finishes with 430 kills, which was a career-high and ranks sixth all-time in single season history. Sydney Cook (Sr., Miami, Fla.) led the team with a career-high 23 digs on the defensive end.
Now that the regular season has come to an end, the Sharks will await word from the NCAA Championships Selection Committee to determine whether or not their 2015 season will continue into the postseason. Currently the Sharks are ranked No. 10 in the latest South Region poll and the top eight will advance. The DII Women's Volleyball Selection Show will be on Monday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. To watch, click on the following link http://www.ncaa.com/live/player?vid=2015/2041&date=2015/11/23.
