FOR LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The NSU volleyball squad will continue on the road this weekend as it opens up Sunshine State Conference play, starting with the Fighting Knights of Lynn on Friday, Sept. 16 at 7:00 p.m.
 
Following the Friday night match against Lynn, the Sharks (5-3) will travel south to take on the Buccaneers of Barry University on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
 
Coming off a 1-3 weekend at the ThunderWolves Volleyball Classic hosted by Colorado State-Pueblo, the Sharks return to Florida to work on what they learned in Colorado.
 
"Colorado was a trip of challenges - from long travel days, odd match times, hotel issues and injuries to key players," explained head coach Jennifer King. "We were close to handling them, shown in two of our losses being in five, but we couldn't quite cross the hump and get the win. We learned that we need to be more resilient and keep our focus on the things we can control: our system, our errors and our strengths. Lynn and Barry are going to be great tests for that, and I'm excited for our first SSC matches!"
 
Friday evening's match will serve as the 38^th all-time meeting between Nova Southeastern and Lynn, with Lynn holding the 21-16 edge. In their last meeting in 2015, NSU defeated the Fighting Knights in a five-set marathon that took nearly two hours and 20 minutes to complete 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 24-26, 17-15. The win gave NSU the season sweep over Lynn after having picked up a 3-0 win over the Fighting Knights earlier that season.
 
Picked fifth in the Sunshine State Conference by the league's coaches in the preseason poll, Lynn returns a large portion of last year's squad as the 2016 roster is prominently upperclassmen led by seven seniors.
 
The Bucs are currently on a five-game winning streak and hold a 6-1 overall record, placing them at the top of the SSC Standings. Before hosting the Sharks on Saturday, the Bucs will take on No. 17 Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Friday evening.
 
In the all-time series, Barry holds a 32-6 advantage over the sharks. In 2015, NSU and Barry split, with the Sharks picking up a five-set win over the Bucs at home in Sept. before Barry grabbed a 3-1 win at home in late Oct.
 
Picked fourth in the SSC preseason poll, the Bucs welcome back multiple returners including 2015 first team all-conference libero pick, Brittany Jaco.
 
Live stats and video streaming will be provided by the host schools for both games. To following the game live, click on the links below. Follow @NSUSharks on Twitter and Instagram for updates.
 
Nova Southeastern vs. Lynn
Nova Southeastern vs. Barry
 
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