Spartans Seniors Spear Sharks in Regular Season Finale

TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 1 University of Tampa volleyball team (28-1, 16-0 SSC) ended the 2014 regular season with a 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-9, 25-11) over the visiting Nova Southeastern Sharks (13-15, 6-10 SSC), Saturday night from the Martinez Center. The triumph propelled the Spartans to a 28-1 regular season record and a flawless 16-0 record in Sunshine State Conference play.

The win also came on the Spartans' senior night, marking Tampa's 52nd-consecutive Sunshine State Conference victory, a school and conference record that dates back to 2011.

Before the first whistle blew, the No. 1 Spartans took a moment to honor the squad's three graduating seniors and their families. The accomplishments of Meagan Burke, Jackie Neff, and Kahley Patrick were celebrated during the Spartans' senior ceremony on their home court.

After the senior ritual, Tampa hit the court ready for victory and took the first set of the contest by a 25-17 score. With the lead in their favor, the Spartans wasted no time in set two, taking home a 25-9 set win and finishing off the Sharks in the third set with a 25-11 victory.

Offensively, the Spartans were led by junior All-American Berkley Whaley, who rallied for 13 kills at a .650 clip. Junior outside hitter Marissa Lisenbee followed her lead with 10 kills in the effort, earning a .625 attack average in the victory, while senior Meagan Burke tacked on nine kills at a .583 clip.

The guiding touch behind the Spartans' offensive success was senior Kahley Patrick, whose 28 assists in the win bring her to career number to well over 4,500. The senior currently ranks fifth in the nation for assists per set and leads the Sunshine State Conference.

From the back row, freshman libero Kasey Reynolds led Tampa with nine kills on the evening, while Patrick recorded seven and Whaley registered six. In addition, Burke, Patrick and junior Jessica Wagner each tallied one block in the effort.

As a team, the Spartans ended the night with a .456 attack average, their highest mark since an Oct. 11 win over Barry.

With the 2014 regular season in the books, the No. 1 Spartans await their seeding for the NCAA South Region Tournament. Tampa, whose only loss of the year came to top-ranked Southwest Minnesota State on Sep. 12, ends the season with the nation's number 1 ranking and expects to host the South Region tournament. The NCAA Division II Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 16 at 10:00 p.m. To watch live, click here. (http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/2014/11/16).

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

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