Spartans Extend Season Opener Win Streak to 17

Tampa, Fla. – The nationally ranked Spartans defeat the Pioneers in four sets to open the 2024 season with a victory.

Final Score: Tampa 3 (1: 25-17, 2: 22-25, 3: 25-15, 4: 25-23), Texas Woman's University 1

Records: Tampa (1-0, 0-0 SSC), Texas Woman's University (0-1, 0-0 LSC)

Location: Bob Martinez Sports Center | Tampa, Fla.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

First Set: Tampa started the match strong with a 4-0 lead. Four kills later, the Spartans led 8-2 forcing Texas Woman's University head coach, Jessica Ransom, to call a timeout. After back-to-back kills by Rachel Gregg and Nathaly Perez the Spartans led 16-7. Gregg responded with a kill after the Pioneers went on a four-point lead, making the score 17-11. The Spartans began to chip away causing the Pioneers to call a second timeout at 21-14. Kalli Cors scored the set-winner with a kill.| Score: 25-17 Tampa

Second Set: The Pioneers came out fighting in the second set, leading 4-1. Soon after, Jenna Vaske tied up the score at 4-4 with a kill. The Spartans and Pioneers battled neck and neck when Meghan Schreck scored a kill to put Tampa in their first lead at 7-6. After a hard fight, head coach Chris Catanach called a timeout for Tampa at 16-18. The Pioneers continued to put pressure on Tampa causing Catanach to call a second timeout trailing by four points at 22-18. The Spartan comeback effort was silenced as the Pioneers ended the second set of the night.| Score: 25-22 Texas Woman's University

Third Set: The Spartans came out strong in the third set with a 5-0 lead. The Spartans led 12-6 after Tess Schrenger and Gregg scored back-to-back kills. Tampa continued to dominate the third set as Schrenger scored a solo block at 17-10. The two teams exchanged blows for the remainder of the set until another kill from Schrenger ended the third set.| Score: 25-15 Tampa

Fourth Set: The Pioneers started to gain momentum in the fourth set, leading 4-1. However, the Spartans came back fighting with Zoey Seput scoring a kill to tie the game up at 6-6. As the score continued to go back and forth, Jenna Davis earned a kill to gain the lead at 16-15. A kill by Cors earns Tampa's highest lead over the Pioneers in set four, causing the Pioneers to call a timeout. Two points later, the Pioneers forced Tampa to call a timeout, not long after Texas Woman's used their second timeout of the match. Schrenger ended the final set with her 14th kill of the match.| Score: 25-23 Tampa

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Tampa wins its 17th consecutive season opener.

• The last time Tampa fell in its opening match was back in 2007.

• Zoey Seput reached a career-high of 50 assists.

• Rachel Gregg recorded a career-high 9 kills.