Volleyball Ends Regular Season with Conference Perfection
BOCA RATON, Fla. - For the second straight season, the No. 1 University of Tampa volleyball team ended its regular season with a perfect 16-0 Sunshine State Conference record after its 3-0 defeat of Lynn University.
The Spartans end the regular season with 29-1 record and their pristine 16-0 conference tally while the host Fighting Knights end their season 18-16 with a 5-11 SSC mark. The win continues the UT SSC record with 36 consecutive conference victories dating back to Oct. 29th 2011. Tampa will ride a 22 game win streak into its post season efforts.
Senior Holly Reschke posted a double-double in her return to action, grounding 13 kills and picking up 14 digs. Sophomore Jessica Wagner finished with an errorless 9-for-18 effort at an even .500 attack percentage.
Setter Kahley Patrick tuned the team to a .333 attack percentage while contributing four kills to her credit. The junior amassed 35 assists, eight digs, two blocks and a service ace in her all-around effort.
Outside hitter Berkley Whaley helped tempo the defense with 12 digs alongside 13 from libero Jen Scholz. Sophomore Whaley posted three each of blocks and aces while Marissa Lisenbee blocked four.
Tampa took the first set by a 25-15 score as Reschke blasted six kills in the set. Sophomore Wagner drilled a 4-for-7 showing in addition to a key block.
Junior Jackie Neff led the attack for the second set as a barrage of five kills gave the UT squad a come-from-behind 26-24 victory. Wagner continued to perform with an errorless trio of kills while Scholz notched five digs on the defensive end.
Sophomore Lisenbee shut the door with four kills in seven swings in the 25-18 final set. Whaley served up a pair of aces while Patrick hit 2-for-2 with 12 assists.
With the end of the regular season, the Spartans await the postseason. Look for updates on www.tampaspartans.com for postseason information.
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.