Spartans Down Gannon, Punch Ticket to NCAA National Championship Final

TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 1 seed University of Tampa Spartans volleyball team defeated No. 5 seed Gannon (Pa.) in the 2021 NCAA Championships Semifinals, earning its place in the NCAA National Championship match. This is Tampa's eighth trip to the National Championship match, with the Spartans winning the title in 2006, 2014, and 2018.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final Score: #1 Tampa 3 (1: 25-21, 2: 25-20, 4: 25-18) #5 Gannon 1 (3: 25-23)

Records: #1 Tampa 33-2 (19-1 SSC), #5 Gannon 32-7

Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center || Tampa, Fla.

Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

HOW IT HAPPENED:

First Set: The Spartans opened the match with a bit of a run, 6-2, behind the shoulders of Kalli Cors, Taylor Fosler, and Katie McKiel. GU rallied to take an 8-7 lead, which set the stage for a back-and-forth affair. The Golden Knights were the first to the ever-elusive 15th point but ultimately fell, 25-21, giving the Spartans a first set win. McKiel again matched the moment, playing finisher on two crucial Spartan points to close out the set. Score: 1-0 Tampa

Second Set:  The second set played out much like the first, with the Spartans taking an early advantage only to have Gannon storm back with run to take a narrow lead. UT eventually evened the match, 8-8, and in what turned out to be a match of runs, the Spartans used an 8-4 run to jump out to a 16-12 lead. Tampa took the second set, 25-20. Score: 2-0 Tampa

Third Set: The Golden Knights came out hot in the third set, racing out to a 14-8 lead. The Spartans responded by tying up the match, 17-17, but ultimately fell to Gannon, 25-23. Score: 2-1 Tampa

Fourth Set: Tampa's attack was led by McKiel in the final set, who had five kills. The Spartans at one point led by as much as eight before another Gannon rally made things somewhat close. Elias' two final kills, both assisted by Emily Noe, were enough to send the Spartans to the NCAA Championship title match. Final: 3-1 Tampa

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Claudia Rivera's 45 digs are a career-high and school record.
• Two Spartans finished with double-digit kills: McKiel (15) and Fosler (13).
• McKiel hit .341 with 15 kills and had just one error on the night.
• Five Spartans had double-digit digs: Rivera (45), Elias (12), Houghton (11), Cors (10), and JJ Ramirez (10).
• Elias' double-double was her 17th this season.
• UT's 16 blocks are a season-high mark.
• UT last appeared in the NCAA Championship match in 2018, when it beat No. 3 Western Washington to win the title.
• UT is the first school in NCAA history to host and play in an NCAA National Championship.

UP NEXT: The Spartans will play for the National Championship tomorrow against No. 3 seed Washburn on Saturday, December 11 at 5:00 PM at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center.

GAMEDAY MULTIMEDIA: Fans may watch and follow all Divison II Championship games on diivolleyball.com.

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