Spartans Earn First Win At South Region Crossover

ORLANDO, Fla. – In day one of the South Region Crossover, hosted by the Sunshine State Conference, UT advances their winning streak to 15-0, defeating the Valdosta State Blazers in four sets. The No. 6 Spartans defeated the Blazers by set scores of 28-26, 25-13, 23-25, and 25-23.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: No. 6 University of Tampa 3, Valdosta State University 1 (28-26, 25-13, 23-25, 25-23.)
Records: Tampa Spartans (21-1, 13-0 SSC) vs. Valdosta Blazers (11-14, 7-4 GSC)

Location: South Region Crossover | Orlando Sports Center | Orlando, Fla.
Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Vimeo 

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The sophomore duo of Sorrel Houghton and Katie McKiel led the Spartans offensively with 21 and 16 kills respectively. Houghton hit .250 on the match while McKiel earned a kill percentage of .286. Middle blocker Alexandra Misca also contributed to Tampa's offensive performance, with nine kills on 14 attempts hitting a whopping .571. Defensively for the Spartans, Melissa Elias and Nicole Dominguez each had 14 digs, while Sammy Mueller led Tampa in assists with 42. Mueller also contributed on defense with nine digs, followed by freshman defensive specialist, Claudia Rivera, who earned seven digs and a service ace. Additionally, Elias also contributed to the team's winning performance with 12 assists and six kills.

INSIDE THE STATS:
Melissa Elias earned her ninth double-double of the season with 12 assists and 14 digs. She was the only Spartan to earn a double-double in the match.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
The Spartans are undefeated against the Blazers, now leading the all-time series 8-0.

UP NEXT:
Tampa will continue in the second day of the South Region Crossover, tomorrow against the Lee University Flames and the University of West Florida Argonauts. The games will take place at 12:15 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. respectively. Live stats and a live video webcast will be provided through www.tampaspartans.com.

TAMPA SPARTANS MOBILE APP:
A free app is also available for free download through Apple and Google Play stores. Please search for Tampa Spartans Front Row. 

RECEIVE TEXT AN EMAIL ALERTS:
UT also offers free messaging service for text and/or email, which sends alerts and press releases for Spartan teams. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.