TAMPA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks Volleyball team is moving on in the NCAA South Regional Tournament, as the sixth-seeded Sharks defeated the third-seeded Embry-Riddle Eagles in four-sets on Thursday afternoon from the Bob Martinez Athletics Center on the campus of the University of Tampa.

Nadia Lindner, recently named the Sunshine State Conference, D2 CCA South Region and AVCA South Region Player of the Year, led the Sharks. Lindner tallied 20 kills for the seventh time on the 2023 season and registered a 0.432 hitting percentage in the NCAA South Region Tournament first round.


Records: No. 6 Nova Southeastern 20-10, 12-8 SSC | No. 3 Embry-Riddle 22-10
Score: No. 6 Nova Southeastern 3 | No. 3 Embry-Riddle 1
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla.
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• In the third match of the 2023 season between the Embry-Riddle Eagles and the Nova Southeastern Sharks, both teams matched each other in the opening points of the first set, as a Nadia Lindner killed tied the score at 4-4.
• NSU responded to a 3-0 rally by Embry-Riddle with a 4-0 run. Olivia Aniol began the run with a kill, which was followed by an Elizabeth Price service ace, and capped by a Kate Mihacevich kill, and put the score at 13-13.
• Later in the set, the Sharks once again rallied for three consecutive points. Madison Cook and Taylor Stockman each added a kill, before Olivia Aniol and Stockman teamed up for a block to put NSU ahead 19-18.
• Embry-Riddle took the first set 25-21, taking a 1-0 lead in the match.
• The Eagles opened the second set with a 5-2 lead, but Kate Mihacevich and Brittany Landrum sparked a 3-0 rally by NSU and tied the frame at 6-6.
• After falling behind 9-6, Nova Southeastern rallied for a 7-0 run, bookended by a pair of kills from Landrum, in addition to two kills from Mihacevich, to take a 13-9 lead over Embry-Riddle.
• NSU extended the run and scored 6-of-9 points, extending the advantage to 18-12 over the Eagles.
• Aniol, scoring four of the final six points, helping the Sharks close out the second set, as NSU took the frame 25-13 and tied the match 1-1.
• Lindner took over the in the beginning of the third set, recording four of the Shark first six points, as the score was 7-6 in favor of the Eagles.
• The Sharks then rallied for a 7-2 run and took a 12-9 lead over ERAU.
• Both teams went on to trade points back-and-forth for the remainder of the set and the score was tied at 24-24 following a kill from Lindner.
• Facing extra points, NSU rallied to score 5-of-7 points to close out the frame, as Landrum and Mihacevich put the Sharks ahead 28-27 before an error by Embry-Riddle sealed the 29-27 third set win for Nova Southeastern.
• The Sharks maintained their momentum from the third set and opened the fourth frame with an 8-2 lead to take full control.
• Three consecutive kills from Lindner, followed by a point from Mihacevich, gave the Sharks an 18-8 advantage.
• Nova Southeastern put themselves in position to earn match point courtesy of a 5-0 rally and received points from Landrum, Mihacevich, Stockman and Madison Cook, before winning the fourth set 25-13 and taking the match.

 
Nadia Lindner: 20 kills, 0.432 hitting percentage, 11 digs
Brittany Landrum: 11 kills, 0.444 hitting percentage, four blocks
Madison Cook: 53 assists
Olivia Aniol: 10 kills, 0.517 hitting percentage, six blocks
Elizabeth Price: 21 digs


Head Coach Kacie Ehinger – "I'm really proud of our ability to right the ship after losing a close set one. We did an excellent job of sticking to our scouting report and playing disciplined. Madison Cook did a great job at getting our hitters good one-on-one opportunities, while Olivia Aniol and Brittany Landrum id an excellent job both offensively and defensively holding the block. I'm ready to go to back to battle tomorrow with this group."


The Sharks advance to the second-round of the NCAA Division II Tournament and will take on the winner of the No. 2 Lynn versus No. 7 West Florida match at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 1. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Volleyball, be sure to follow on Instagram at NSU_VBall and X at NSU_VB.