
No. 2 Spartans Raze Flagler
TAMPA, Fla - The No. 2 University of Tampa volleyball team defeated Flagler College in three quick sets to improve to 21-0 on the season. The Saints fall to 16-6 on the season as the Spartans won their 26th straight set.
Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week Danielle Selkridge posted four blocks on the victory while also grounding eight kills of her own. The national leader in hitting percentage continued her tear, hitting at a .583 clip on the match.
Middle hitter Camille Hanks hit 8-for-10, committing no errors, good for a .800 attack percentage.
Junior Jessica Yingling led the Tampa squad with nine kills and seven digs while setter Sloane Bâby turned seven digs of her own on the match. The junior also notched 12 assists while freshman Kahley Patrick spun 21 assists and 6 digs.
The Spartans limited the Flagler attack to a .087 clip in the three set win. Saints duo Abby Meyers and Dianna Craine each posted 10 kills on the match with Craine and libero Casey Gnann digging out eight Spartan attacks. Flagler setter Olivia Snipes picked up 29 assists to round out the Flagler offense.
UT won its first set with a 25-18 score as Selkridge swatted 4-for-5. SSC Offensive Player of the Week Eva Dupay swung a 4-for-7 to round out the Tampa attack in the premier set of play.
The second frame concluded with 25-20 margin as Hanks smacked five kills in six chances. Freshman Meagan Burke posted two blocks on the set as the Saints swung a .105.
The final set saw the Spartans off to a roaring start, leading 9-1 before a desperate Flagler team shrunk the deficit as Tampa won 25-19. Hanks killed a perfect 2-for-2 as Yingling and Dupay each grounded three on the final set of play.
The Spartans welcome a pair of SSC foes in Barry University and Lynn University heading into the weekend. UT faces the Bucs Friday with a 7 p.m. start time while the Saturday matinee against the Fighting Knights is slated for a 4 p.m. start. Both contests will be played in the Bob Martinez Sports Center as the perfect Spartans head into the second round of SSC play.
Live stats as well as a live video webcast will be available for both matches through www.tampaspartans.com
Fans may also follow University of Tampa athletics on Twitter (www.twitter.com/utspartans) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/tampaspartans). UT also offers blAst, a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.