Spartans Outlast Bucs in Five-Set Thriller

TAMPA, Fla. – After picking up two quick sets, the No. 22 University of Tampa volleyball team was forced to a decisive fifth set against Sunshine State Conference foe Barry University. The match came down to the wire as the Spartans outlasted the Buccaneers 16-14 in the final set to take the match 3-2 for its final home contest of the 2016 campaign.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: No. 22 Tampa 3, Barry 2 (25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 21-25, 16-14)
Records: Tampa Spartans (20-6, 10-3 SSC), Barry Buccaneers (14-11, 6-6 SSC)
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:

Set 1 | UT used the steady swing of senior Allee Stelogeannis to gain a first set advantage 25-16 over the Bucs. The outside hitter delivered a five-kill barrage at an even .500 clip, picking up five digs on defense as well. Junior Molly McAlvany provided four kills to compliment her fellow outside hitter. The Barry hitters could not find a rhythm in the premier set, hitting a combined .000 to open play.

Set 2 | Stelogeannis continued her dominance in the second set, adding six kills to her line with four more digs. Freshmen Taylor Fosler and Katie McKiel both hit 3-for-5 in the frame while libero Logan Holanchock anchored the defense with seven digs. Barry outside hitter Jaeda Allen totaled six kills but the Bucs were unable to match UT, as the Spartans took a 2-0 match advantage with a 25-18 set.

Set 3 | Barry put Tampa off-balance in the third set, winning the stanza by a 25-18 score behind the swing of Allen. The outside added five kills while Genesis Castillo posted three kills. Stelogeannis cooled in the third with a pair of kills in 10 swings.

Set 4 | The Spartans could not find their footing in the fourth as the Bucs evened the contest at 2-2 after a close 25-21 win over UT. Senior Ivana Didanovic led the charge with three kills as Tampa struggled in the fourth.

Set 5 | The final set saw UT jump out to a 6-1 lead and force a Barry timeout early on. Four BU errors gave the Spartans the advantage, but it was Allen that brought the Bucs back in play with a series of kills. Middle Fosler posted a kill to make the contest 14-14 before Stelogeannis grounded the 15^th point of the set. Needing just one more point to win the match, Barry turned to none-other than its strong outside Allen for the evening point. Fosler and Beaumier issued a deafening block to clinch the match for the Spartans and end the contest at 16-14.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Outside hitter Stelogeannis spun yet another double-double with 17 kills and 15 digs. The senior has a team-best 16 double-doubles this season to lead UT.

• Sophomore Holanchock posted a season-high 26 digs in the five set match, bringing her season total to 436.

• Setter Jen Aprile posted her fourth consecutive double-double this evening, notching 24 assists and 15 digs. The junior has eight double-double performances and ranks second on the team in that category.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• With 26 digs in the match, libero Holanchock passes Kristen Zschau on the all-time digs list with 1042. Zschau has totaled 1,018 from 1993-96 as Holanchock now sits 12^th in the program record books for digs.

• Tampa earns win No. 50 against the Buccaneers, as the all-time series stands at 50-16 after the UT win on Wednesday.

• Despite a towering 13 blocks from the Buccaneers, Tampa still managed to out-hit Barry .153 to .126 in the five-set thriller.

UP NEXT:

The Spartans will once again meet Barry, this time in a 7 p.m. road match on Friday, Nov. 11. Live stats and a live video webcast will be provided through www.tampaspartans.com.

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