WINTER PARK, Fla. -
The Rollins volleyball team couldn't match the 14th-ranked Saint
Leo Lions' .422 attacking percentage as the Tars fell 3-0 (25-19,
25-11, 25-13), Saturday afternoon at Warden Arena.
Rollins (14-13, 2-8 Sunshine State Conference) finished the match
hitting .112 as the Lions (23-2, 10-0 SSC) committed just seven
attacking errors with 45 kills.
The Tars tallied 25 team kills as Mikayla Pierce tied a
match-best 11 with Saint Leo's Bruna Rocha. The Lions, conference
leader in opponents attacking percentage, limited Rollins and the
conference's leading attacker, Nikki Hartman, to just three
kills on the match.
Pierce also tied a season-high with five blocks to lead the team
with 13.5 points. Freshman Kiana
Parks assisted on 20 of the Tars' kills, while Phoebe
Corder registered 13 digs, a team-best.
Rollins fell behind by four early at 8-4 and were unable to get any
closer the rest of the way in the first set. The Lions held a
safe distance from the Tars as they built a 10-point lead at 22-12
before the Tars answered scoring the next four points. Rollins
inched closer scoring three more points before Rocha secured the
victory with a set-winning kill.
The second and third sets were owned by Saint Leo as they held the
Tars to just 11 and 13 points. The Lions' .583 attacking mark in
the second set proved to be too tough for Rollins to answer. Six
different attackers tallied kills in the set for Saint Leo with
Rocha and setter Michelle Nogueras finishing with four.
The final set was similar to the second as the Lions built an early
seven-point lead at 12-5. Saint Leo continued its run to increase
its lead to 12 before deciding the match on a Tars attacking
error.
Rollins was swept by the Lions in the 2009 season, but still own
the all-time series, 48-15.
The Tars remain in conference play when they host, Eckerd, Oct. 28
at 7 p.m.
