Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FORT LAUDERDALE – The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (2-0) got their season off on the right foot by picking up a pair of wins on the first day of the Ninth Annual Sharks Volleyball Invitational at the NSU Arena at the Don Taft University Center on Friday. NSU opened with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-18, 20-25, 25-19) win over Adelphi (1-1) and closed out the night with another 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 25-15) win over Arkansas Monticello (0-2)

Denvyr Tyler-Palmer (So., Jacksonville, Fla.) led the Sharks offense on the first day recording a grand total of 39 kills over two matches. She recorded 18 against Adelphi and finished the day with a double-double 21 kills and 11 digs against UAM, while adding a combined .372 hitting percentage on the day.

NSU struggled a bit offensively to start the tournament and hit a low .178 team percentage in their opening match-up Against Adelphi. But the early season jitters were gone by nightfall when Katie Pyles (Sr., Denver, Colo.) guided the team to a blistering .362 hitting percentage as a team. For the day, Pyles averaged just over 10 assists/set and the team hit .272. Megan Burns (So., Sylvania, Ohio) led with a 3.50 digs/set average.

MATCH 1 BOX SCORE

Before heading into their first match of the 2016 season, the Sharks faced an already warmed up Adelphi team that had picked up an earlier 3-1 win over Arkansas Monticello to start the tournament. But that didn't have much effect on the Sharks' outcome in their first match as they cruised to a 3-1 victory over the Panthers to start the year 1-0.

Despite taking an early 2-0 lead in the match, the Sharks waivered slightly in the third allowing the Panthers to go on a 6-0 run to capture a 6-2 lead. Adelphi never trailed again and went on to win 25-20 to narrow the match score at 2-1. But it was the Sharks' high octane offense that hit a blistering .516 percentage in the final set that led to settling the contest in favor of NSU 3-1 after a 25-19 victory in the final set.

MATCH 2 BOX SCORE

In the nightcap, NSU again looked to be in control of the match after the first two sets with a comfortable 2-0 lead. But an uncertain third allowed Arkansas Monticello to narrow the gap by one set, 2-1. Both teams battled from the opening serve, but the Blossoms edged the Sharks 25-22.

After a quick regroup between sets, NSU posted their best set of the day. The team hit .455 as a team with 18 kills in the frame, which led to a 25-15 win to give NSU the 3-1 match victory.

The Sharks will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 3 for the final day of the tournament with matches scheduled against Bentley at 2 pm and Rockhurst at 7 pm.