WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Falling short in the first set, the Nova Southeastern volleyball team proved they were not a team to back down from a fight, coming back to win the next three sets over the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish on Tuesday evening in the Rubin Arena. With the four-set win, the Sharks break PBA's 16-game overall series win streak in the "Battle of the Fish".
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: W, 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-13)
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern Sharks (14-9, 6-6 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (13-10, 5-7 SSC)
LOCATION: Rubin Arena | West Palm Beach, Fla.  
FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
SET 1 | Down 6-3 in the first, the Sharks used a 4-1 run to earn a three-point edge at 10-7. From there, NSU was able to stay out in front until a 4-0 run by the Sailfish gave the home team a 19-17 lead and forced NSU to call timeout. Returning to the floor, a 4-1 run by NSU capped with an ace by Madison Cook gave the Sharks their last lead of the set as PBA went on to win set one 25-23.
 
SET 2 | Trailing by three points at 11-8, Nova Southeastern took advantage of a 5-0 run, capped with a pair of blocks by Brittany Landrum/McKenna Tucek and Landrum/Emily Sippel to grab the lead at 13-11. After a PBA kill, a 4-1 run bookended by a kill by Tucek and a kill by Ally Ford made it 17-13 in NSU's favor, forcing PBA to call for a timeout. After another kill by PBA's Jazz Schmidt, NSU used a 5-0 run to take a 22-14 lead, going on to win the set 25-17 to even things up at a set apiece.
 
SET 3 | Tied at 4-4, a 5-1 run by the Sharks sparked by a kill by Sippel pushed NSU out to a 9-5 edge. The Sharks were able to hold onto the lead throughout the remainder of the set, with the Sailfish coming coming within two points at 20-18. NSU was able to pull away, using a 4-1 run, including two kills by Landrum, to grab set-point at 24-19 lead. After a Sailfish timeout and a service error, the Sharks earned the set three win on a kill by Evelyn Kinsch, 25-20.
 
SET 4 | The Sharks were on fire during the second half of set four, leaving Palm Beach Atlantic in the dust thanks to a 14-1 run that gave them set-point at 24-11. NSU allowed the Sailfish to tally two more points before a block by Ally Ford and Landrum finished the job, giving the Sharks the victory with an impressive 25-13 win.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:
 

• Ford and Landrum steered the Shark offense, each tallying 13 kills apiece. Ford also chipped in three service aces and eight digs while Landrum recorded six blocks and five digs.
• Tucek was next with 12 kills, making three blocks, and Sippel was also in double digits with her 10 kills. Sippel also recorded a double-double, adding 10 digs to the box score.
• Kinsch had seven kills and made zero errors in her nine attempts, finishing with a .778 hitting percentage.
• Cook made 35 assists in the game, while Caylee Cox registered 18. Cox also added seven digs.
• Aleyna Kennel picked up a game-high 20 digs.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
 

• The Shark's last win over the Sailfish was on Sept. 24, 2009, as NSU swept the Sailfish in the Rick Case Arena.
• As a team, the Sharks hit .322, their second-best outing of the season.
• Cook's 35 assists were a season-high, surpassing her high of 32 set a week ago today against Barry.
• Sippel's double-double was her sixth of the season.

 
UP NEXT
 
The Sharks will remain on the road as they head to Rollins College this Saturday, Nov. 2. First serve against the Tars is set for 4:00 p.m.
 
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
 
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_VBALL.