FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (16-21, 4-14 SSC) will end a nine-game road trip with a three-game series against the Tampa Spartans (24-9, 12-6 SSC). The series, taking place at Tampa's Naimoli Family Softball Field, will start Friday at 6 p.m. and conclude with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
The Sharks enter the weekend after taking their first Sunshine State Conference series victory over Florida Southern on the road, winning two games out of three. The Sharks have two more conference weekends left on the schedule, as well as doubleheaders against St. Thomas and Palm Beach Atlantic, to end the year on a high note.
 
NSU's young squad has a chance to play spoiler in a tightly contested league race. Barry leads the SSC at 13-5, but Tampa, Rollins and Florida Tech are all within two games of the Bucs. The Sharks will get the best from teams with championship aspirations, but will have the opportunity to make their mark on the final standings in the SSC.
 
The Sharks will also get a chance to add to their resume of tough road wins. NSU has already defeated three nationally ranked teams on the road this year and will look to win at a facility that has not been kind to the Sharks. NSU has not won at Tampa since 2011, a 1-0 victory, and hasn't won a series there since sweeping the Spartans in 2009.
 
Over the years, Tampa has a reputation for recruiting some of the nation's best pitchers. In 2015, their staff carries that flag well. The Spartans are led by Julie Morrow, the current NFCA National Pitcher of the Week and a four-time SSC Pitcher of the Week winner this year. The senior has started 26 of Tampa's 33 games and holds a 1.46 ERA with 289 strike outs. Morrow will be matched against NSU's Rebecca Thornton (So., Lodi, Calif.), who has a 2.09 ERA over 26 games over her own.