Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Rollins stole a five-set win on the road Saturday afternoon, defeating the Sharks of Nova Southeastern (21–25, 25–20, 25–22, 15–25, 15–13).
The match opened in back-and-forth fashion, setting the tone for a frame that featured nine ties and five lead changes. Nova gained some separation midway through, but Rollins answered with a four-point run on Emma Gongora's serve, highlighted by kills from Cameron Grange and Robinson Repass to reclaim the lead. The Sharks responded late, stringing together a short run of their own to take the opener. Rollins flipped the momentum in the second, jumping out to an 8–3 lead on Jenna Garza's serve, featuring two aces and kills from Grange and Vivian Scuteri. The Tars extended the advantage on another Garza serving run and held off a late Nova push to even the match at one set apiece.
The Sharks took control early in the third, going ahead 15–9 before a Grange kill sent Gongora to the line, sparking a massive nine-point Rollins run that swung the set in the Tars' favor. Nova bounced back in the fourth, hitting .429 to force a decisive fifth frame. The final set saw both sides trade points, neither earning more than a two-point cushion. A Grange kill and a Garza ace put Rollins ahead 13–12 before Nova tied it at 13-all. Grange delivered once more to give the Tars a match point, and Gongora capped the night with a solo block to seal the road victory.
Grange led the Tars with 19 kills on a .300-plus hitting percentage, followed closely by Marta Tsaneva with 14. Gongora added 10 kills and three service aces to go along with her match-winning block. Setters Molly Morris and Garza guided the offense with 26 and 19 assists, respectively, with Garza also posting a team-high five aces. Makayla Moran led the defense at the net with four block assists and one solo, while Grange, Tsaneva, and Scuteri each added three assists. Libero Sarah Seabrooke anchored the back row once again for Rollins, collecting 28 digs to aid in the victory.
With the win, Rollins improves to 14–10 overall and 3–8 in SSC play, while Nova Southeastern falls to 12–8 (5–6 SSC). The Tars continue their road swing next Friday, Oct. 31, for a 7 p.m. matchup at Lynn in Boca Raton.
