KENOSHA, Wis. –Nova Southeastern University Sharks Volleyball took its first loss of the season as it went 1-3 at the Hampton Inn Invite hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
(GAME 1)
Records: Nova Southeastern 5-0 (0-0 SSC) | Hillsdale 3-1 (0-0 G-MAC)
Location: De Simone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
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First Set (25-16, NSU) – After going back-and-forth with the Chargers, the Sharks exploded on a 9-3 run taking the score from 3-3 to 12-6 forcing Hillsdale to call timeout. Trying to stall the Shark momentum, it didn't work, as the set never got within three points again.
Erika Spankus delivered the blows for NSU including kills on the last two points of the set to give the Sharks the early advantage.
Second Set (26-24, HC) – The Sharks used another early run to take a quick four-point lead but the Chargers were relentless in chipping away, eventually earning a tie at 13 points. A couple of blocks from Hillsdale's Ella Vandermark turned the tides, but a pair of timeouts pushed it back even. The set was tied at 21, 22, 23 and 24 before going over 25 points. Hillsdale held off the Sharks attack with an attacking error forcing an NSU timeout on set point. A setting error the next point doomed the Sharks evening the set score at one apiece.
Third Set (25-23, NSU) – Both sides continued the even pacing of the previous set, after NSU was able to take a 6-2 lead, Hillsdale clawed back to even at eights. Neither team could gain separation with the next two-point lead coming on the tail of a 3-0 Sharks run at 16-14. The Chargers pestered back to a tie at 21 and eventually led 23-22, but NSU claimed the next three points using a service error,
Caiden Largent kill and Hillsdale attacking error to win the set.
Fourth Set (25-17, NSU) – NSU took the lead on the first point of the set and didn't look back going wire-to-wire to clinch the victory. Hillsdale had its worst set of the match hitting .000 in the final frame with 11 attacking errors against it. NSU had three service aces in the set, completing its season-high 12 service aces in the match.
NSU collected 12 service aces, with five coming in the first set and five individually by
Abbie Roth.
Caiden Largent led the way in kills with 13 while
Taylor Teaman led a balanced defensive effort with 12 digs.
- Caiden Largent: 13 kills, 2 service aces, 7 digs, 5 total blocks, .333 hitting percentage
- Abbie Roth: 40 assists, 5 service aces, 8 kills
(GAME 2)
Records: Nova Southeastern 5-1 (0-0 SSC) | Parkside 5-1 (0-0 GLIAC)
Location: De Simone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
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First Set (25-18, UWP) – The Sharks struggled to recover after stumbling out of the gates in their first true road game of the season against hosts Parkside. The Rangers went wire-to-wire in the opening set in front of their home fans after taking a quick 3-0 lead. NSU had one of its poorest sets of the season thus far hitting .088 with six attacking errors and two service errors hurting the visitors.
Second Set (25-23, UWP) – NSU bounced back in the second set hitting .241 in a back-and-forth affair that eventually saw an 8-2 Ranger run help Parkside pull away. Down 21-19, NSU rattled off a 6-1 run to tie the set at 22 but back-to-back kills by Parkside's Avary Polavin pushed it to set point and a set winner to put NSU in its first 2-0 hole of the 2026 campaign.
Third Set (25-23, UWP) – Parkside struggled to hold off the Sharks in the third set. NSU struck well with 12 kills and four service aces helping NSU claim multiple leads throughout the set. However, after the media timeout, Parkside caught a second wind rattling off six points taking a 21-18 lead forcing a Shark timeout. NSU managed to tie the set at 23 points apiece but an attacking error against the Sharks set the stage for a match point kill by Emily Zaper handing NSU its first loss of the season.
The Sharks hit .196 as a team in the match marking their first loss and first sweep of the season. Parkside hit an impressive .356 as a team with 49 kills to just 12 errors.
(GAME 3)
Records: Nova Southeastern 5-2 (0-0 SSC) | Jamestown 6-1 (0-0 NSIC)
Location: De Simone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
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First Set (25-22, JU) – NSU started day two facing a red-hot Jamestown team in its first season as a full Division II member, and the Jimmies made sure their name was known. The Sharks took a three-point lead into the media timeout before the Jimmies caught fire taking a 9-2 run forcing NSU to use both of its timeouts. NSU couldn't recover after multiple kills by Jamestown's Caroline Puetz.
Second Set (25-23, NSU) – Momentum favored the Jimmies in set one, but the Sharks wanted to prove it was a fluke. NSU and Jamestown locked in a hard-fought battle in the early set with neither team able to gain separation of two points or more until NSU rode a 6-1 run into the media timeout and continued the momentum forcing a timeout from Jamestown at 17-10. Facing set point, the Jimmies were able to score six straight taking the set score from 24-17 all the way to 24-23. NSU called its final timeout to spur
Erika Spankus and
Dana Gibbons to a block assist to claim the set for the Sharks.
Third Set (25-21, JU) – After a quick 3-0 spur by Jamestown, the Jimmies never relinquished the lead dominating the set hitting .295 to earn set point at 24-15. Nova Southeastern was determined to not let that be the end of the story using two service aces from
Abbie Roth and two kills each from
Natalya Bergant and
Erika Spankus to force a Jamestown timeout at 24-21 and a six-point Shark run. The timeout worked as the Jimmies' Charlotte Lempka got the kill out of the timeout to take a 2-1 match lead.
Fourth Set (31-29, JU) – Neither side had room to breathe with the largest lead of the set belonging to the Sharks early on at 6-2. Facing match point,
Matt Geer called timeout before NSU evened the set at 24. The Sharks and Jimmies alternated the next eight points before NSU was able to use a Bergant kill and Largent/
Hadley Dantzler block to push the score to set point at 29-28. Jamestown used a block, setting error and service ace to score the next three winning the extended set, 31-29, claiming the match in four sets.
11 different Sharks saw action in the match including
Amalee Doyle and
Cami Sekanina in their 2026 debuts.
Caiden Largent collected a double-double with 13 kills and 15 digs
(GAME 4)
Records: Nova Southeastern 5-3 (0-0 SSC) | Purdue Northwest 2-5 (0-0 GLIAC)
Location: De Simone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
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First Set (25-19, NSU) – The Sharks dominated the first set of the contest with the Lions hitting .360 as a team committing just three attacking errors. Highlighting the first set was a 10-0 run straddling a Purdue Northwest timeout on a run that featured two service aces from
Abbie Roth. It was the second extended Shark scoring run with Roth at the service line. NSU put the finishing touches on the opening frame with an emphatic kill from
Erika Spankus.
Second Set (25-19, PNW) – In a sport that relies on scoring runs, most of the runs belonged to the Lions with a 4-0 PNW run between the media timeout helping it to gain a four-point advantage. NSU clawed back but it wasn't enough as the Lions went on to end the set on a 4-0 run to tie the set score at ones.
Third Set (25-21, PNW) – NSU struggled with the change of court being held to a season-low -.138 hitting percentage in the third set. The Sharks committed 12 attacking errors and two service errors helping Purdue Northwest get more than halfway to the goal of 25. Anika Huelskamp and Katrina Soto helped the Lions along guiding them to their second straight set victory over the Sharks.
Third Set (25-14, PNW) – The Sharks could not find an answer in the fourth set finding themselves down by eight before using a timeout. Purdue Northwest went on a 5-0 run to go up 21-9. NSU fought back claiming four of the next six points but the damage was done with match point being claimed on another attacking error from the Sharks.
NSU hit .136 as a team in the match committing 23 errors on 110 attacks.
Dana Gibbons shined as a bright spot earning a .400 percentage on five attacks.
Abbie Roth and
Erika Spankus collected three service aces each. NSU earned eight blocks as a team.
Nova Southeastern is back in the Sunshine State to take on Trevecca Nazarene and Fort Valley State on Friday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the de Hoernle Sports Center in Boca Raton, Fla. on the campus of Lynn University.
The Sharks continue the weekend on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. against UIndy, which received votes in the Sept. 7 AVCA Coaches' Poll, inside Rubin Arena in West Palm Beach, Fla. on the campus of Palm Beach Atlantic University.
To stay up to date with Nova Southeastern volleyball, follow us on Instagram @NSU_VBall or by logging online to NSUSharks.com.
