September 12, 2014
Spartans Upset No. 1 Concordia St. Paul in Day One of Premier Classic
DENVER, Colo. - The University of Tampa
Spartans volleyball team ended the first day of the Colorado
Premier Classic with a 1-1 record in tournament play, Friday
evening. Despite falling 3-1 to No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State
(25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 16-25) in the first match of the day, the
Spartans rallied for a 3-0 victory over No. 1 Concordia St. Paul
(25-18, 25-18, 25-21), awarding the seven-time defending national
champions their first loss of the season.
The Spartans won the first set of the day, outscoring No. 10
Southwest Minnesota State 25-21. In spite of Tampa's strong
offensive effort, the opposing Mustangs remained consistent
throughout the next three sets, taking home a 3-1 match victory.
The loss signaled the Spartan's first of the season.
Junior outside hitter Berkley Whaley ignited the Spartans
offense in the match, registering 16 kills to match her
season-high.
Defensively, freshman libero Kasey Reynolds led the effort
with 11 digs. Whaley contributed nine of her own, while junior
middle blocker Jessica Wagner stayed strong at the net with a
season-high eight blocks.
The Spartans found their groove later in the day when they
knocked off defending national champions and No. 1-ranked Concordia
St. Paul in three sets. Right out of the gate, Tampa rallied for
each point, eventually picking up their fourth victory over a
ranked team this season.
Again, Whaley led the offensive attack, recording 16 kills for
the second time in less than a day. Allee Stelogeannis and Marissa
Lisenbee followed her lead, earning nine and eight kills,
respectively. Aiding the Spartans in their scoring efforts was
senior setter Kahley Patrick, who recorded 35 assists on the
evening.
Refusing defeat, it was senior Meagan Burke who stayed strong
defensively for the Spartans, notching four blocks to lead all
players in the match. Wagner and Whaley followed suit with three
apiece, while Whaley also led her squad with nine digs.
The victory over No. 1 Concordia St. Paul marks the first time
that the Spartans have defeated the Golden Bears since regular
season play in 2010. During the 2013 season, Concordia sent Tampa
home in the first match at the NCAA Division II National
Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 2012, the Spartans fell to
Concordia in the NCAA Championship match.
The Spartans will wrap up the Colorado Premier Classic on
Saturday, Sep. 13 when they compete against No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth
and No. 4 BYU-Hawaii. The first match of the day is slated for
11:30 a.m.
Live stats will be made available through
www.tampaspartans.com.
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