October 22, 2014
No. 1 Tampa Tops Rollins in Three Sets
Box score
TAMPA, Fla. - In midweek Sunshine State
Conference action, the No. 1 University of Tampa Spartans
volleyball team (20-1, 9-0 SSC) defeated the visiting Rollins
College Tars (13-10, 5-4 SSC), Wednesday night from the Martinez
Center. The 3-0 victory (25-9, 25-10, 25-16) marked Tampa's
45th-consecutive Sunshine State Conference victory, a school and
conference record that dates back to 2011.
After going 8-0 through the first round of conference play,
the Spartans' win over Rollins jumpstarts the second half of SSC
action for the 2014 season.
Tampa jumped ahead of the Tars in the first set of the night,
and the pace was set from there. After taking the first set by a
25-9 score, the Spartans returned in set two for a 25-10 victory
before finishing off the Tars with a 25-16 third set win.
Junior All-American Berkley Whaley led the Spartans
offensively in the SSC sweep, garnering 13 kills and earning a .750
attack average in the victory. Junior Marissa Lisenbee followed her
lead with 12 kills in the effort.
The offensive attack was guided by senior setter Kahley
Patrick, whose 35 assists bring her season total to over 845. She
currently leads the conference in assists and assists per
set.
As a team, the No. 1 Spartans earned a .373 attack average,
and four players ended the contest with an attacking percentage
over .350.
Defensively, the Spartans held the Tars to a -0.064 attack
average, forcing 23 Rollins errors and out-blocking the visiting
Tars four blocks to ten. Freshman libero Molly McAlvany registered
ten digs from the back-row in the defensive effort, while seven
Spartans recorded a block or a block assist.
From the front row, junior middle blocker Jessica Wagner did
the most damage, two solo blocks and four block assists for a
six-block effort.
The Spartans will hit the court again on Saturday, October 25
when they host the visiting No. 20 Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish for
a regional matchup. The contest will begin promptly at 4:00 p.m. in
the Bob Martinez Athletic Center on the campus of the University of
Tampa.
Live stats will be made available through
www.tampaspartans.com.
Fans may 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.