Tampa Trumps Nova Southeastern in Straight-Sets

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Jetting to its 12th-consecutive victory, the top-ranked University of Tampa volleyball team rolled to a 3-0 sweep of Nova Southeastern University on the road, Friday evening.

The Spartans improve to 17-3 on the season with a perfect 7-0 record in Sunshine State Conference contests, extending its consecutive conference win streak to 59 victories dating back to Oct. 2011. The Sharks drop to 14-8 on the year with a 5-4 SSC tally.

Senior Marissa Lisenbee boasted a 13-for-24 attack, committing just two attack errors for a .458 attack percentage. Fellow senior Berkley Whaley added a 9-kill effort, adding 10 digs for the visiting Spartans while Allee Stelogeannis produced eight kills, seven digs, four blocks and two service aces for a rounded performance.

Setter Gina Clarke tuned UT to a .340 team hitting clip with 31 assists, adding three kills and six digs.

Tampa's defense stopped 10 attacks a the net as middle blocker Jessica Wagner led with five blocks while Lisenbee mirrored the four block effort of Stelogeannis. Libero Logan Holanchock kept the tempo in the back row, picking up 15 digs to combine with Whaley's 10. The Spartans collective limited the Sharks to a meager .031 attack percentage as a squad.

Whaley delivered a 4-for-4 opening set, grounding her four kills at a perfect 1.000 hitting clip. Lisenbee nearly matched, terminating five kills in six swings (.833) as the Spartans stormed their way to a 25-17 score in the premier stanza. Tampa swung at a torrid .483 as a team to begin play. Defensively, UT notched four blocks in the first frame with junior Demery Zachery having a hand in two stops.

UT's net-presence continued into the second frame, as the Spartans began the set with three quick blocks to stifle the Sharks offense early on. Tampa's offense cooled from its first-frame onslaught, as NSU was able to notch 24 digs to slow the Spartan momentum. Lisenbee continued to have a hot-hand despite the Sharks defensive jump, blasting six kills at a .545 efficiency in the second frame. Tampa came out with a victory, taking the stanza 25-18.

Tampa made quick work of NSU in the final set, besting the Sharks by a 25-11 final score. Whaley grounded four kills in the last stanza while Stelogeannis added a trio to her credit.

UT will continue conference play with a 4 p.m. road contest, Saturday, facing Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. Live stats will be made available through www.tampaspartans.com.

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