Saint Leo Outlasted Tampa 3-1 in Road Loss

SAINT LEO, Fla. – The No. 20 University of Tampa volleyball team dropped its Tuesday night road contest against Saint Leo University by a 3-1 final score. The Lions have posted more wins against Tampa this season than any year prior, recording just their third win over the Spartans in the all-time series record.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Saint Leo 3, No. 20 Tampa 1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 25-21)
Records: Tampa Spartans (13-4, 4-2 SSC), Saint Leo Lions (11-7, 4-2 SSC)
Location: Bowman Activities Center | Saint Leo, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:

Set 1 | Saint Leo took the back-and-forth first set by a 25-23 score. Senior Allee Stelogeannis had seven kills in the first frame while libero Logan Holanchock added seven digs. UT outhit the Lions .205 to .188 despite taking the loss in the premier set of action.  Freshman Katie McKiel added four kills while SLU relied on senior Hope Lemon for five kills.

Set 2 | Junior Molly McAlvany swatted three kills in the second set as neither offense was able to build momentum. Setter Sammy Mueller totaled seven digs in the set to secure a double-double (10 assists/13 digs). Saint Leo committed eight attack errors to combine with four service errors as Tampa scored a mere 12 points in the set to even the match at 1-1. The Spartans finished with a 25-18 score to win the second frame.

Set 3 | Saint Leo fought for a 25-21 third set behind five kills from Lemon.  Stelogeannis chipped in three kills and five digs but UT was unable to come away with a victory in the third frame. McAlvany and middle blocker Alexandra Misca posted three kills apiece to round out the Spartan attack.

Set 4 | The Lions sealed a 3-1 victory after taking the fourth and final set by a 25-21 score. Sophomore Misca posted a 4-for-5 set despite the loss as the Lions rallied behind Lemon and outside hitter Avery Bradshaw.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• UT posted a higher attack percentage than SLU, converting at a .186 rate while the Lions posted a .168 team clip.

• Stelogeannis spun her 12^th double-double of the season, notching 14 kills and 16 digs. Freshman Mueller turned her own double-double effort, adding 16 digs to her credit while amassing 20 assists.

• Middle bocker Taylor Fosler swatted seven kills while picking up four blocks and three digs in the match.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Saint Leo has won more matches against Tampa this season than they have in the history of the two programs. The regular season sweep marks the first time Saint Leo has defeated Tampa at home and on the road.

• Sophomore Holanchock recorded a career-high in assists with nine in the four set match.

• The loss is the second time this season that Tampa has out-hit its opponent but recorded a loss. The first was on Sept. 2^nd against Henderson State.

UP NEXT:

Tampa returns home on Friday, Oct. 21 to host Nova Southeastern for a 7 p.m. match. Live stats and a live video webcast will be provided through www.tampaspartans.com. 

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