FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University Sharks Volleyball opened the
Matt Geer era with four straight victories at the 2026 NSU Shark Invite to start the season 4-0 for the second time in three seasons.
Nova Southeastern took down Middle Georgia in the opening game before dispatching UNC Pembroke in back-to-back matches each in four sets before finally sweeping Palm Beach Atlantic in a non-conference clash between Sunshine State Conference opponents.
(GAME 1)
Records: Nova Southeastern 1-0 (0-0 SSC) | Middle Georgia 0-1 (0-0 Peach Belt)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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First Set (25-12, NSU) – The
Matt Geer era started with a dominant win in the first set holding the Knights to just 12 points. NSU started the season with a service ace from
Abbie Roth racing out to a 7-2 lead. The Sharks never looked back ending the set on a 5-1 run.
Second Set (25-15, NSU) – Back-to-back kills from
Erika Spankus and
Natalya Bergant gave NSU an early 2-1 lead and the Sharks ran with it including using a 6-0 run to pull away from the Knights for good.
Third Set (25-10, NSU) – The Sharks dominated the final set racing out to a 4-0 advantage with two different six-point runs. The Sharks hit .706 in the set leading them to the convincing victory to complete the sweep.
NSU held Middle Georgia to a hitting percentage of -.039 marking the first time in two seasons the Sharks held an opponent to a negative percentage.
(GAME 2)
Records: Nova Southeastern 2-0 (0-0 SSC) | UNC Pembroke 0-2 (0-0 Conference Carolinas)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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First Set (25-16, NSU) – The Sharks committed just three attacking errors hitting well above .400 in the set. NSU started on a 9-1 run to open the match and led by as many as ten before the Braves fought back to make the set more interesting drawing within three but
Erika Spankus collected four kills down the stretch to give the first set to NSU.
Second Set (25-22, UNCP) – The Braves came out determined not to drop two sets in a row collecting a 9-2 lead over the Sharks before the home side settled in using kills from
Hadley Dantzler and
Natalya Bergant to eventually take a lead in the set, 18-17. With the Sharks leading 22-21, the Braves took a couple Shark errors to take the next four points and the second set.
Third Set (25-21, NSU) – NSU took multiple runs using kills from
Caiden Largent and elite serving from
Erika Spankus to claim an early 11-5 lead. The Braves fought back but the Sharks never relinquished the lead in the set finishing the last two points with back-to-back kills from Bergant.
Fourth Set (25-23, NSU) – UNC Pembroke needed the fourth set to force a fifth. The set see-sawed between points not allowing for any separation until the Braves found four straight that was immediately answered by a 7-1 Sharks run to take a 14-13 lead. UNCP led 23-21 before NSU finished the match on a 4-0 run to sweep the first day of the NSU Shark Invite with two victories.
Abbie Roth collected her second 50-10 assist-dig double-double of her collegiate career in the victory.
Caiden Largent also recorded a double-double with 18 kills and 11 digs.
(GAME 3)
Records: Nova Southeastern 3-0 (0-0 SSC) | UNC Pembroke 1-3 (0-0 CC)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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First Set (25-22, NSU) – Starting day two of the NSU Shark Invite, the Sharks and Braves traded blows before NSU took six straight points including two service aces from
Natalya Bergant to take a 10-4 lead. UNC Pembroke fought back with a 7-2 run late to tie the set at 22. The Sharks took the next three points on an
Erika Spankus kill,
Dana Gibbons and Bergant block, and a Bergant kill to end the initial set.
Second Set (29-27, UNCP) – Similar to the match the previous night, the Braves came out determined not to go down 2-0. The Braves had set point up 24-20 before three
Natalya Bergant kills and one from
Caiden Largent pushed the set to over 25 points. NSU only had one set point leading 26-25 but UNCP took four of the next five points clinching the set on a block assist.
Third Set (25-9, NSU) – The Sharks must have taken the previous set personally as after NSU took a 6-3 lead, the rocket ship took off with the Sharks going on an 11-0 run on
Natalya Bergant's serve to lead 17-3 with a near insurmountable lead for the Braves. UNC Pembroke fought back a bit from that point, but the damage was more than done with
Taylor Teaman putting the exclamation point with a set-ending service ace.
Fourth Set (25-19, NSU) – Teaman ended set three with a service ace, she began set four with two more helping NSU to a quick 6-3 lead. The Sharks used five different runs of three or more points keeping the Braves an arms' length away winning the set with back-to-back blocks to claim their second four-set victory over UNC Pembroke in as many games.
Natalya Bergant had a breakout game with her first career double-double and a career-high five service aces.
(GAME 4)
Records: Nova Southeastern 4-0 (0-0 SSC) | Palm Beach Atlantic 3-1 (0-0 SSC)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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First Set (25-22, NSU) – In a rare non-conference battle between two Sunshine State Conference foes, the first set, set the tone. NSU went on a 5-1 run taking a 9-4 lead. PBA turned around and turned in a 7-1 run to reclaim the lead in the set, 17-16. It was once again
Natalya Bergant the hero with three kills in the final five points of the set allowing NSU to hand the Sailfish their first set loss of the season.
Second Set (26-24, NSU) – Neither side could get separation from each other through a majority of the set, NSU couldn't get a lead larger than three but managed a set-point situation with a 24-23 lead but a service error at the wrong time pushed the Sharks and Sailfish into a set over 25 points. After the service error, it was the Sailfish who misfired twice on two attacking errors helping the Sharks to the victory to put the 'Fish on the ropes down two sets to none.
Third Set (25-16, NSU) – With Palm Beach Atlantic in a do or die set, Nova Southeastern made sure it was the latter. NSU used an early 6-1 run forcing PBA's coaching staff to call an early timeout. The timeout did nothing to quell the Shark momentum with an 8-3 run putting the set at a near-insurmountable 20-11 lead for the home team. On a breakout day for
Natalya Bergant it was only fitting that she delivered the finishing blow on match point to finish the NSU Shark Invitational a perfect 4-0 to start the
Matt Geer era.
Entering the final game of the tournament, NSU and PBA were the only teams remaining at 3-0 acting as a "de facto" championship game of the NSU Shark Invite. The win now gives NSU eight-straight victories over Palm Beach Atlantic. The last PBA victory in Rick Case Arena was in 2019.
Nova Southeastern jets off to Kenosha, Wisconsin to participate at the UW-Parkside Invite to take on Hillsdale at noon on Sept. 4 in a neutral contest before taking on the host UW-Parkside at 6 p.m.
On Sept. 5 the Sharks participate in another doubleheader with a 10 a.m. first serve against Jamestown before concluding the trip to the Midwest with a 2 p.m. first serve finale against Purdue Northwest.
To stay up to date with Nova Southeastern volleyball, follow us on Instagram @NSU_VBall or by logging online to NSUSharks.com.
