No. 3 Spartans Narrowly Escape Eagles' Talons

St. Petersburg, Fla. – No. 3 Tampa Close Out Regular Season With 5-Set Thriller Over Embry-Riddle

Final Score: Tampa 3 (1: 21-25, 2: 25-20, 3: 21-25, 4: 25-19, 5: 15:5), Embry-Riddle 0

Records: No. 3 Tampa (28-1, 19-1 SSC), Embry-Riddle (22-8, 13-6 SSC)

Location: ICI Center | Daytona Beach, Fla.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

First Set: Although Embry-Riddle scored 4 of the first 6 points over Tampa, the visitors responded with 5 straight that included kills from 3 separate Spartans, ultimately resulting in an early timeout for the home team. The Eagles responded well to their timeout as they scored the next 4 of 5 points which knotted the set at 8-8. Tampa was able to hold a small lead over Embry-Riddle throughout the middle stages of the set, but a strong kill from Tess Schrenger put the Spartans ahead 18-15, and the Eagles called another timeout. Conceding a 4-1 run after the timeout, the Spartans were now tied at 18-18 as Coach Catanach called his first timeout of the evening. Unfortunately, the same thing happened again after this timeout and the Spartans called another timeout as they were now down 23-20. Embry-Riddle closed the set out 3 plays later. | Score: 25-21 Embry-Riddle

Second Set: The Spartans came into the second set strong, snagging a 6-1 lead as the Eagles needed an early timeout to get back on track. The Tampa lead got up to 10-2 and eventually, after an ace from Zoey Seput capped off a 3-0 run, the lead was 15-7 as Embry-Riddle's coach, Joslynn Gallop, called her team's second timeout of the set. The Eagles clawed their way back into the set and even got within 5 points of the Spartan lead at 24-19 as Tampa called a late set timeout in order to close it out. Schrenger closed out the set with a Seput-assisted kill. | Score: 25-20 Tampa

Third Set: The beginning of the third set was much closer and saw a lot of back-and-forth action between the two teams, but the Eagles held a small yet constant lead. Embry-Riddle went on a 4-2 run and grew their lead to 15-11 as Catanach called his first timeout of the set. Unable to chip away at the Eagle lead through the middle of the set, the Spartans called another timeout now down 20-16. However, a kill followed by an ace from Kalli Cors cut the lead to 20-18, and the home team called their first timeout of the set. Following the Eagles' timeout, the Spartans scored 3 out of the next 4 points but it wasn't enough as the Eagles closed the set out with 4 straight, including back-to-back aces.  | Score: 21-25 Embry-Riddle

Fourth Set: Early aces from Cors and JJ Ramirez propelled the Spartans to a 6-2 lead. Tampa maintained their lead into the middle of the set, but back-to-back kills from Schrenger signaled the first Embry-Riddle timeout of the set at 13-8. Following the timeout, the Eagles seemed to be in control of the set, although still trailing, the home team effectively cut the lead to 17-15 as the Spartans called a timeout. Tampa scored an immediate 3 straight following their timeout and were only interrupted by another Embry-Riddle timeout before scoring another 3 straight, leading 23-15. Mirroring the second set, Schrenger ended the fourth set after Seput assisted her dominant kill.  | Score: 25-19 Tampa

Fifth Set: Seput opened up the final set with a well-placed ace that ignited a 5-1 start for the visitors and the Eagles responded with a timeout. Embry-Riddle scored 3 of the next 5 but Tampa responded with 3 straight that included a kill and an ace from Schrenger, as the hosts of the evening called their second timeout of the shortened set. Tampa ended things on a 5-1 run and Cors closed out the evening with back-to-back kills.| Score: 15-5 Tampa

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Cors recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs

• Emily Noe led the match with 28 assists

• Seput also recorded a double-double with 24 assists and 20 digs

• The match was led with 16 Schrenger kills