Rollins Suffers 3-0 Loss at Hands of No. 4 Tampa

Rollins

0 -

3

Tampa

Box Score Highlights

WINTER PARK, Fla. (September 24, 2015) - Jumping back into Sunshine State Conference action, the Rollins volleyball team suffered a 3-0 setback (25-17, 25-18, 25-11) to the fourth-ranked University of Tampa Spartans, Thursday evening at Warden Arena.

The loss drops Rollins to an overall record of 1-9 on the season and 0-3 in Sunshine State Conference play, while the nationally-ranked and defending national champion Spartans improve to 8-3, and 3-0 in SSC action.

Sophomore Bri Civiero led the Tars in kills with nine while adding a team high seven digs and two blocks. Freshman Sam Schlesman tallied six kills on the night, while Shannon McDonough, Kianna Dieudonné, and Kate Stefanski posted four each. McDonough matched Civiero at the net with two blocks on the night.

Senior MaryEllen Pole led the squad with 14 assists, with fellow senior setter April Jackson earning nine assists while adding six digs. Sophomore libero Rebecca Wilson added six digs to match Jackson, followed by Katlyn Sawyer with five.

For the Spartans, seniors Berkley Whaley and Marissa Lisenbee earned 12 digs apiece, marking a game high. Freshman Logan Holanchock led Tampa with 15 digs, while Gina Clarke contributed a match best 37 assists.

Tampa controlled the match from the beginning, holding Rollins to a .086 hitting percentage in the first frame while hitting .364 en route to a 25-17 first set win. Rollins held tight in the opening of the first set where fans saw the score tied eight times with five lead changes pulling even with the Spartans with a score of 8-8, but a potent Tampa offense proved to be too much for the Tars as the Spartans gained the advantage and never looked back to claim set one.

Rollins started off strong in set two, pulling out to a 10-7 lead, but Tampa five straight points by the Spartans saw them pull out to a 12-10 advantage. Rollins rallied to bring the score as close as 17-15 after two consecutive kills by Schlesman, but ultimately dropped the set in a 25-18 decision.

The Tars were unable to force overcome the Spartans in the third and final frame as Tampa continued their offensive dominance with a .346 hitting percentage. The Spartans rolled through set three earning a 25-11 decision to win the match 3-0.

The Tars return to the Alfond Sports Center on Tuesday, September 29^th at 6:00 p.m. to host the currently undefeated Valdosta State squad from Georgia. Fans who cannot make it to the game will be able to catch all of the live on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 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.