FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For the first time in 15 seasons, the Nova Southeastern University volleyball team begins the year with an unblemished 3-0 record. The Sharks defeated Virginia State (0-4) by a final of 3-1 to start the final day of the NSU Sharks Invitational and ended with a 3-0 win over Westminster (1-3) on Saturday night at the NSU Arena at the Don Taft University Center.
 
The last time the Sharks volleyball team began the season with a 3-0 record was during the 2000 season. That year, NSU picked up wins over Saint Leo, Pfeiffer, and Shaw and went on to finish with a 21-15 overall record to close out the year.
 
In their first matchup of the day against Virginia State, the Sharks won 3-1 (25-12, 25-11, 23-25, 25-13). The Sharks dominated the first two sets by no less than a 13-point margin. However, NSU struggled in the third set and fell by a narrow two-point margin 25-23. The fourth and final set mirrored the first two with NSU winning 25-13 to take the match.
 
The Sharks spread out their offensive attack, which was led by Denvyr Tyler-Palmer (Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.) with nine kills and a .467 hitting percentage. A quartet of Sharks, Caitlin Donahue (Sr., Miami, Fla.), Sydney Cook (Sr., Miami, Fla.), Dana Holger (Sr., Lino Lakes, Minn.) and Katie Pyles, each added seven kills apiece.
 
Pyles guided the Sharks offensive attack with 24 assists, and the team finished with a.375 team percentage. Kaelyn Brock (So., LaQuinta, Calif.) posted a match-high 14 digs defensively.
 
In the nightcap, the Sharks managed to shutout Westminster (1-3) to close out the tournament undefeated. NSU won by set scores of 25-18, 25-17, 25-20.
 
Cruising out of the gates, the Sharks hit a blistering .429 in the first set for the win. The team committed only one hitting error in 28 attempts and collected 13 kills. In the second set, NSU took an early 2-1 lead and never looked back as they went on to take a 2-0 lead in the match heading into the final set.
 
Heading into the third set, NSU struggled early for the first time in the match. With the score tied 17 all, Tyler-Palmer recorded a kill that sparked an 8-3 scoring run to close out the set 25-20 as the Sharks cruised to a 3-0 victory.
 
Donahue recorded nine kills and a .312 hitting percentage to pace the Sharks' offense. Holger had eight kills of her own along with nine digs. Two Sharks were also named to the all-tournament team. Both Pyles and Holger earned All-Tournament honors. Embry Riddle's Evelina Abdurakhmanova received the most votes from participating coaches and earned the tournament's Most Valuable Player award. The full all-tournament team is listed at the bottom of this release.
 
After Labor Day, the Sharks will travel to Aiken, S.C. for the USC-Aiken volleyball tournament Sept. 11-12. The Sharks will face two teams on Friday in Belmont Abbey and host USC-Aiken and then Lees McRae and King on Saturday.

2015 NSU Sharks Invitational All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player - Evelina Abdurakhmanova, OH, Embry Riddle
Tjasa Kotnik, OH, Eckerd
Tamires Ferreira, S, Embry Riddle
Summer Paxton, L/DS, Embry Riddle
Katie Pyles, S, Nova Southeastern
Madison Gill, OH, East Central
Dana Holger, OH, Nova Southeastern
Cadyn Laing, MB, Oklahoma Baptist
Kaitlyn Lucy, L/DS, Oklahoma Baptist
Hayley Gerken, MB, East Central
Amara Culpepper, MB, Westminster
Sydney Uko, OH, Virginia State