Box Score FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – In its first game back in the Rick Case Arena since Sept. 2, the Nova Southeastern volleyball team fell, 3-1, to the Tritons of Eckerd College.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: L, 1-3 (17-25, 25-19, 20-25, 16-25)
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern Sharks (4-4, 2-2 SSC), Eckerd Tritons (5-3, 1-3 SSC)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
SET 1 | Eckerd had a hot start in the first set, jumping out to a 6-0 lead before the Sharks called timeout. The Tritons continued to keep the momentum on their side, holding the lead throughout the entire set. NSU was able to come within three at 12-9 with back-to-back kills by Maya Patterson, but that would be the smallest deficit of the game as Eckerd went on to take set one, 25-17.
 
SET 2 | Down 9-6 in the second set, the Sharks rallied for a five-point run, including two kills each by Patterson and Jane Early, to steal the lead, 11-9. The set saw four more ties until at 17-17, the Sharks utilized a four-point run to grab a 20-17 advantage and never look back. A service error allowed the Tritons to come within two, 2018, but another four consecutive points by the Sharks put NSU in set-winning position, 24-18, before another kill by Patterson sealed the win, 25-19.
 
SET 3 | The closest set of the game, the third set saw six ties and four lead changes. At 6-5 in NSU's favor, the Tritons took off on a 10-1 explosion to take a 15-7 lead. The Shark's responded with a five-point run of their own, capped with a service ace by Samantha Blasko, to come within three, 15-12. The two teams exchanged points back-and-forth until at 18-16 with Eckerd in the lead, NSU rattled off three points in a row to knot the game, 18-18. The Tritons used a kill by Kali Boatwright and two NSU errors to steal a 21-18 lead, but a service error ended their run and a kill by Patterson brought the Sharks back to just a one-point deficit, 21-20. Eckerd quickly closed the door on an NSU rally, however, tallying four straight points for a 25-20 win.
 
SET 4 | Unlike the third set, the Tritons were the only team to hold the lead for the entirety of the game, ending up on top, 25-16. At 9-4 in EC's favor, the Sharks were able to use errors by the Tritons and a kill by Maddie Uilk to come within two, but that would be the closest they would get all game.
 
INSIDE THE STATS: 

• Tyler-Palmer and Patterson led the Sharks with 13 kills apiece.
• Defensively, Megan Burns led both teams in digs with 19.
• With a two-setter offense, Nicole Rivera and Samantha Blasko split the work, tallying 15 and 16 assists, respectively. Rivera also added eight digs while Blasko tacked on seven.
• As a team, the Sharks out-blocked the Tritons, 11-6.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE: 

• Tyler-Palmer's double-double streak was snapped tonight, breaking her four-game run.
• Patterson's 13 kills tied her career-high.

 
UP NEXT 

The Sharks will play again at home tomorrow, hosting the No. 20 Saint Leo Lions at 4:00 p.m. for an SSC showdown in the Rick Case Arena.
 
 
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: 

Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_VBALL.