WEEKEND PREVIEW: No. 3 Tampa Looks to Add to Win Total with a pair of road matchups
October 1, 2023
TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 3 Spartans hit the road with 13 wins under their belt and look to add to their undefeated streak with 2 more conference matches this week.
Week 6
Friday, 7 p.m. at Florida Tech
Saturday, 4 p.m. at Rollins
#3 Tampa
- The Spartans remain perfect and increase their record to 13-0 with 7 of those victories coming within the Sunshine State Conference. Looking to build off of this past week's success with three more conference wins at home, the Spartans are traveling to Florida Tech and then Rollins to face two opponents that they beat last year, winning 12 of 13 sets against the Panthers and Tars combined. Jenna Davis and Mackenzie Dufresne are still leading the way in the SSC with respective hitting percentages of .427 and .412, both increasing significantly from last week.
Florida Tech
- Florida Tech opened the season in Anchorage, AK for the Seawolf Volleyball Invitational but lost their four matches and have continued to a 5-9 record, with a 1-5 record in conference. The Panthers, as a team, are currently leading the Sunshine State Conference in digs, averaging 17.62 per set, edging out Tampa with 17.27 per set. The Panthers were able to return 10 players from their 2022 season and added 8 new players, 2 of whom are freshmen.
Rollins
- The Tars began their 2023 season projected to finish last in the Sunshine State Conference, according to the preseason poll done by coaches. However, after this ranking, Rollins went on to win their first four matches of the season and now have a total record of 8-6, going 3-3 in SSC play. Natalie Horsley, a junior setter for the Tars, is currently ranked second in the entire SSC in assists, averaging 9.98 per set. Last season, the Tars lost both of their meetings against the Spartans, as they were only able to win one set. The Tars returned 13 total players while adding 4 freshmen and 2 additional players to their roster.