Spartans Set to Welcome in Pair of South Florida Foes
TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tampa is set to host two home games over the weekend against South Florida SSC teams.
The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (17-6, 10-2 SSC) vs. Palm Beach Atlantic University (13-10, 5-7 SSC)
University of Tampa Spartans (17-6, 10-2 SSC) vs. Barry University Buccaneers (14-9, 7-5 SSC).
Date/Time: Friday vs. PBA @ 7:00 p.m. | Saturday vs. BU @ 4:00 p.m.
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center || Tampa, Fla. || 400 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
About the Spartans: Tampa is entering the first game of November after going through October undefeated. The Spartans are also entering the weekend on a 12-game winning streak. Last time out, Tampa defeated Eckerd in a five-set thriller on the road.
Leading the UT offense is Katie McKiel who has a total of 331 kills and averaging 3.85 kills per set, which leads the conference in both categories. She has also added a total of 208 digs and 36 total blocks.
Sorrel Houghton is second on the team in kills as she has 249 kills on the year to go along with 119 digs and 21 blocks. Leading the Spartans in the middle is Kamari Potter, as the middle blocker has 171 kills with a hitting percentage of .365. Potter also has 56 total blocks, which is tied for the team lead with freshman Mackenzie Dufresne.
Sammy Mueller is leading the way for the Spartans as a playmaker, as the senior setter has a total of 721 assists on the year. Nicole Dominguez leads the UT defense with a total of 344 digs on the year. Melissa Elias has also been an all-around player for Tampa as she has collected eight double-doubles this year and a triple-double.
About the Sailfish: The Sailfish enter this matchup after falling on Tuesday night to Nova Southeastern. Sam Wolf leads the way for the Sailfish, as she has 299 kills on the year. On defense, Lilly Turner leads the way with 337 digs on the year. Jazz Schmidt leads the team with 412 assists and Emma Pieper is right behind her with 408 on the year. This will be the second time the two teams will meet this year, as Tampa won the first match in three sets.
About the Buccaneers: The Buccaneers enter this weekend with a two-game losing streak. Megi Buvinic leads the Bucs offensive attack with 260 kills on the season. Kristina Filimonova is right behind her with 258 kills on the season. Bianca Paşca is serving as the offensive catalyst for Barry, as she has totaled 730 assists on the year. The two teams met earlier this season, as BU defeated UT at home in five-sets.
All-Time Series: Tampa leads the all-time series against PBA 12-5, winning the last two matchups. In the last 10 meetings, both teams have won five matches. Against Barry, Tampa leads the all-time series 55-18 and Tampa is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
Tickets: General Admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $5. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge. Students and faculty/staff are admitted free with a valid UT ID.
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