No. 1 Spartans Spook No. 17 Mocs in SSC Action

Team Stats

October 31, 2014
Box score
LAKELAND, Fla. - Kicking off another weekend of Sunshine State Conference action, the No. 1 University of Tampa Spartans volleyball team (22-1, 10-0 SSC) defeated the No. 17 Florida Southern Moccasins (18-5, 9-2 SSC), Friday night.

The 3-1 victory (25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20) marks Tampa's 46th-consecutive Sunshine State Conference victory, a school and conference record that dates back to 2011. In addition, the triumph marks the Spartans' tenth win over a team ranked in the AVCA top-25 poll this season, and propels No. 1 Tampa to a 22-1 overall record.

Despite the Moccasins taking the first set in the match, Tampa responded quickly to take the first two sets and go ahead by a 2-0 score. Florida Southern gained some momentum in set three, but it would not be enough as the No. 1 Spartans took home a 3-1 victory and their 22nd win of the season.

Junior All-American Berkley Whaley led the offense for the Spartans in the victory, recording 17 kills to lead all players. The outside hitter earned a .444 attack percentage on the night.

In addition to Whaley, juniors Megan Burke, Marissa Lisenbee, and Jessica Wagner also led the Spartans' offense. Burke, who swatted 13 kills on the evening, registered a .409 attack average on the night, while Lisenbee tallied 12 kills of her own. Middle blocker Jessica Wagner led the charge for the Spartans in attacking with a .529 average, earning 11 kills on the evening.

Senior setter Kahley Patrick maintained a strong presence on the court in the victory, leading her squad with 54 assists and 20 digs. Her defensive performance came in just four digs shy of her career high.

Whaley also held her own defensively, earning 14 digs to collect her fourth double-double of the season.

Libero Molly McAlvany also earned double-digit digs on the evening, tallying 11.

The Spartans will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 1 for a Sunshine State Conference contest at Saint Leo University. The match is slated for 4 p.m. at the Lions' home court in Saint Leo, Fla.

Live stats will be made available through www.tampaspartans.com.

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