Tampa Volleyball is Set to Host Nova Southeastern and Barry University

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tampa is set to host the Nova Southeastern Sharks on Friday, October 20 at 7 p.m. in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center. This will be the team's annual Breast Cancer Awareness match, so be sure to wear pink. Then on Saturday, October 21 at 4 p.m., Tampa welcomes the Barry University Buccaneers.

Match One: University of Tampa (9-10, 4-4 SSC) vs. Nova Southeastern University (4-11, 2-6 SSC)

Date/Time: Friday, October 20 at 7 p.m.

Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. 

Last Time Out: Tampa defeated Eckerd College, three sets to one. During the game, sophomore middle blocker Taylor Fosler contributed greatly to the Spartans victory, will 12 kills on 24 attempts, hitting .458. On the pins, Nicole Dominguez and Sorrel Houghton lead the offensive efforts with twelve kills apiece. Veteran setter Sammy Mueller quarterbacked the offense, teeing up a season-high of 45 assists on the night, while senior Molly McAlvany suited up as libero for the Spartans ending the night with 22 digs.

About the Spartans: The Spartans are a team full of young talent. While the start of the 2017 season was a bit rocky, the team has clawed their way back, entering this weekend just under .500 on the season.  

The Spartans are led both on offense and defense by sophomore outside hitter, Nicole Dominguez. Dominguez has recorded 192 kills and 188 digs thus far, with six double-doubles this year. Following Dominguez in kills, are freshmen pin hitters Sorrel Houghton and Nylah Demps with 164 and 163 kills respectively. In the middle, the Spartans returned 2016 All-SSC Newcomer, Taylor Fosler. Fosler has not disappointed this season and sits at 143 kills with an average hitting percentage of .435. Also returning to the starting rotation for the Spartans is sophomore setter, Sammy Mueller. Mueller currently has 386 assists, 80 digs, 14 kills, seven service aces, and has three blocks thus far. At the libero position, Coach Chris Catanach has made a plethora of changes throughout the year. On any given day, the libero could be Kasey Reynolds, Kaitlyn Ajmani, or Molly McAlvany who have stated 114, 117, and 83 digs respectively.

About the Sharks:  The Sharks are currently 4-11 overall, 2-6 in the SSC. Offensively, Nova is led by Denvyr Tyler-Palmer who has 281 kills with an average kill percentage of .196. Following Tyler-Palmer the Sharks next offensive leaders are Nicole Rivera with 69 kills and Maya Patterson with 67 kills. At libero, the Sharks start junior Megan Burns who has 295 digs on the year. Nova Southeastern uses two setters to run the offense. The setting duo includes Nicole Rivera with 249 assists and Samantha Blasko with 244 assists.

Series History:  Tampa takes the all-time series history against Nova 29-1. The Spartans are on a 16-game winning streak against the Sharks, with their only loss dating back to November of 2008. The last time Nova took Tampa to five sets was in November of 2013.

Match Two: University of Tampa (9-10, 4-4 SSC) vs. Barry University (8-5, 4-4 SSC)

Date/Time: Saturday, October 21 at 4 p.m.

Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla. 

About the Buccaneers:  The Buccaneers are currently 8-5 overall, 4-4 in the SSC. The two biggest offensive threats for the Bucs are Jaeda Allen and Kristinia Filimonova who have 139 and 137 kills respectively. Allen also currently has the second most digs on the team with 115, just behind setter Juliana Tirabassi who has 131. Tirabassi is Barry's primary setter and has logged 255 assists on the season.

Series History:  Tampa takes the all-time series history against Barry 51-16. The Spartans are on a 16-game winning streak against the Buccaneers, with their last loss dating back to October of 2008.

Tickets: General Admission ticket prices for all Florida Southern regular season athletic events are $5 for adults and $3 for Seniors, Military and visiting students. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge.

Follow UT Athletics: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Vimeo.

Text Alerts: UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.

Front Row: Download the official app of UT Athletics on the Apple or Android store. Look for Tampa Spartans Front Row app to receive notifications from your favorite Spartan teams. The app is completely free.