Tars Fall to Fifth-Ranked Tampa on the Road, 3-1

Rollins

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#5 Tampa

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. (October 31, 2015) - Tricks and treats were plentiful for the Rollins volleyball team as they squared up against the fifth-ranked University of Tampa Spartans on Saturday afternoon. The Tars fought hard against their nationally-ranked opponent, but were unable to overcome a tough Tampa squad, falling by a final score of 3-1 on Saturday afternoon in the Martinez Center.

The loss drop the Tars to a mark of 8-15, and 4-7 in Sunshine State Conference play, while the Spartans advance to 20-4, and 10-1 in the SSC.

Freshman Kerra Tirado led the team in kills with nine, followed by Bri Civiero and Rachel Sawyer with eight apiece. Tirado had a solid day with a .444 hitting percentage as well as three digs and three blocks on the afternoon. MaryEllen Pole paced the Tars with 18 assists, followed by April Jackson with 11. Civiero earned a team high 20 digs, followed by Rebecca Wilson with 14, while Sam Schlesman posted a team best five blocks.

The Spartans saw 15 kills from Jessica Wagner, while Marissa Lisenbee posted 10 of her own. Gina Clarke earned a match high 38 assists, while Allee Stelogeannis matched Civiero in digs with 20. Wagner tallied a blistering nine blocks on the afternoon en route to the Spartans earning a team total of 12 on the day.

The Tars started the day with a quick 3-0 lead to open play, but Tampa answered back by outscoring Rollins 6-1 in the ensuing plays to take a 6-4 lead. The Tars tallied two straight to knot the score at 6-6, and then once more at 7-7, but the Spartans gained the lead on a kill by Wagner and never looked back as they took the first set, 25-14.

Set two saw plenty of back-and-forth action between the two teams, and the Tars found themselves leading by two, 18-16. However, the Spartans rattled off nine unanswered points to claim the second stanza 25-18.

Rollins entered into the third set with a vengeance and were able to hold a crafty Spartan squad at bay to take the set 25-23 and send the match into a fourth frame. Despite the Tars' best efforts, Tampa opened up with a 7-1 lead and rode the early momentum through the remainder of the set to close out the set with a final score of 25-14.

The Tars return to action on Tuesday, November 3 when they travel to Daytona Beach to face provisional Sunshine State Conference member, Embry-Riddle. Fans who are unable to make it to the match will be able to find links to live coverage on RollinsSports.com.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Rollins volleyball team, fans can visit RollinsSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest #TARnation news by following Rollins Sports on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.