Box Score
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Eckerd College volleyball team reached a new pinnacle with a season-high 10-match win streak after completing the regular-season sweep against Nova Southeastern University on Saturday afternoon, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-23).
Sophomore
Lindsay Biggs had another sterling performance on offense and defense for the Tritons, marking a new season-best 18 kills to go along with 11 digs. Her previous high of 17 kills was recorded earlier this week on Thursday against the University of St. Francis (Ill.).
Ariana Chinn tacked on nine kills from a .389 attacking clip while
Alex Laton and
Taylor Whaley (.467 hitting percentage) came through with eight apiece. Senior
Hallie Ward tied Biggs with 11 digs and the Tritons held a sizeable advantage over the Sharks in total kills, 55-34.
Setters
Bri Smith (23) and
Madison Burr (20) combined for 43 of the team's 52 total assists.
The Tritons (19-3, 8-2 SSC) claimed both regular-season matches against the Sharks (5-17, 1-9 SSC), earning a sweep at home in the first meeting back on Sept. 17.
Eckerd also took a half-game lead over Rollins College for second place in the Sunshine State Conference standings with the Tars out of action until Wednesday. The Tritons are unbeaten in the month of October and recorded their 12th sweep this year.
The Tritons pushed through another back-and-forth frame in the middle of the first set, snapping a 13-13 deadlock with a 6-1 run. Nova Southeastern was unable to narrow the gap and Tritons grabbed early momentum in another challenging road environment.
Neither squad led by more than a three-point margin in the second set before Whaley served up one of EC's three aces on the afternoon. Her service point gave the Tritons some late momentum and a four-point advantage was secured for an eventual 25-20 second-set triumph.
Primed for the sweep, the Sharks pushed the Tritons to the limit in the final frame. Eckerd rallied after being down 15-11 to tie at 19-all.
But the Tritons emerged again from a 23-23 tie to take the final two points on an attack error by NSU and a kill by freshman
Ali McAlvany.
Anabely Escarpita led the Nova Southeastern offense with 10 kills.
The Tritons will get a near week of rest before getting their second shot at the nation's second-ranked team in the University of Tampa. EC and the SSC-leading Spartans will clash in the McArthur Center at 7 p.m. on Friday.
