TAMPA, F.L. – Starting off opening weekend, the University of Tampa Spartans remain undefeated, winning their first doubleheader of the Courtyard by Marriot Classic, hosted by The University of Tampa.
Kicking off the afternoon with a 3:00 p.m. match, the Spartans out-battled the West Texas A&M Buffalos by set scores of 25-19, 26-28, 25-23, and 25-11. Sorrel Houghton headed the offensive efforts for Tampa, terminating 21 swings at a .405 kill percentage, followed by Katie McKiel who had 14 kills at a .289 kill percentage. Additionally, the middle duo of Alexandra Misca and Taylor Fosler, both hit above .500, and ended the match with seven blocks between the two of them. Defensively, Nicole Dominguez contributed with 16 digs, while Sammy Mueller quarterbacked the team, ending the contest with 53 assists and 11 digs.
In their second and final match of the day, UT swept the Catawba College Indians by set scores of 25-17, 25-12, and 25-15. Similar to their first match, Houghton proved significant value on the court, ending with a team-high of 10 kills. Mueller finished the night with 33 assists and five digs, while Dominguez led the team defensively with 11 digs, in addition to having six kills. However, the unsung hero of the match was the senior middle blocker, Danielle Christian. Christian was second on the team in kills with 7, hitting a whopping .545. Additionally, the US Virgin Islands native contributed on three blocks for the Spartans and even notched a dig.
The Spartans continue play in the Courtyard by Marriot Classic tomorrow, with a doubleheader against Drury University and Ferris State at 12:45 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. respectively.
Catawba
West Texas A&M