Snakes Charmed; Tampa Heads to Regional Final

TAMPA, Fla. - With a straight-sets victory, the No. 7 University of Tampa volleyball team heads to the NCAA South Region Finals after a sweep of their rival Florida Southern College 3-0.

The win puts the Spartans at a 29-3 season tally while the Mocs end their 2012 campaign with a 22-12 overall record.

Tampa coasted off of a Holly Reschke double-double as the junior led the squad in kills (14) and digs (10). Senior duo Danielle Selkridge and Jessica Yingling each grounded double-digit kills with 11 and 10 respectively. Setter Kahley Patrick led the offensive tempo to the tune of a .313 clip, assisting 27 Spartan swings.

The trio of defenders in Reschke, Selkridge and Meagan Burke blocked four attacks each to limit the Mocs to a .157 attack percentage. Libero Frances Cardenas and Sloane Bâby each contributed eight digs to the defense in the Tampa triumph.

FSC hitters Kayshia Brady and Anne Pietkiewicz each had nine kills while their setter, Ali Skayhan, spun 24 assists and led the Mocs defense with eight digs.

Reschke led Tampa to a 25-19 win in the premier set of play, setting the tone of the game with a five kill performance. Senior Selkridge followed with four swats, as the team swung a sizzling .435 attack percentage in the first stanza.

UT won its second set off another strong performance from Reschke. The Naples, Fla. native grounded six attacks while Burke tallied four. The twosome led the home team to a 25-17 win in the second frame.

Senior Yingling sealed the match with a barrage of seven kills in the third set, giving the Tampa squad a trip to the regional final with a 25-21 win.

Tampa heads to the all-too-familiar South Regional Final to play Palm Beach Atlantic University at 7 p.m. The winner advances to the NCAA Elite 8, while the loser ends their 2012 season. Live stats as well as a live video webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.tv.

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