EC vs. Valdosta State University
EC vs. No. 22 University of West Florida
TAMPA, Fla. – The Eckerd College volleyball program defeated two more regional opponents to conclude the Red Elephant Café South Region Crossover on Saturday, sweeping Valdosta State (Ga.) University and outlasting No. 22 University of West Florida in five sets.
After the Tritons downed Christian Brothers (Tenn.) University on Friday, they took care of business against the Blazers, 3-0, (25-23, 25-20, 25-15) and the nationally-ranked Argonauts, who have arguably compiled on the nation's strongest résumés this year, 3-2 (28-26, 25-17, 25-27, 22-25, 18-16).
In the Tampa-hosted tournament alone, UWF defeated the No. 2 Spartans, Rollins College and Florida Southern College before running into the Tritons.
The Argonauts also upset former No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) University this season.
All three EC wins over the Gulf South Conference foes will play a factor into the AVCA South Region rankings scheduled to be released on Nov. 11 and potentially, the Tritons are back in the conversation for top-25 national consideration.
“It's exciting to see what this team can do when we put it all together,” EC Head Coach
Michelle Piantadosi said. “We're buying in as a team and I'm very proud of the girls for how they played this weekend.”
Junior outside hitter
Lindsay Biggs inched closer to a career milestone of 1,000 kills, coming just one shy of meeting the historic mark.
With only seven players in school history having eclipsed the offensive feat, the 2011 All-American will most likely shatter 1,000 in EC's next match on the road against Florida Tech on Friday. She currently has 999 kills in her three-year career to date.
Biggs put a big dent in the march towards 1,000 with a career-high 22 kills in just three sets against Valdosta State. She was unstoppable against the Blazers' defense at a .400 percentage on just 45 swings.
As a team, the Tritons (15-7 overall) hit .336 versus VSU and showed resiliency in the second set, storming back from a 23-21 deficit to close out the Blazers with four unanswered points.
West Florida posed a different kind of challenge in the afternoon finale, but the Tritons were unfazed and jumped out to a two-set advantage. The Argonauts battled back from a seemingly insurmountable EC advantage and forced a fifth and final set.
After going back and forth against UWF for the entirety of the match, the trend held true as ties of 14-14, 15-15 and 16-16, unfolded in the final stages.
The Tritons delivered the final blow after kills from senior
Olivia Fraser and sophomore
Ali McAlvany finished matters in the two hour, 13-minute affair.
Biggs led four Tritons in double-digit kills with 16 against the Argonauts as McAlvany (15) and Fraser (13) also contributed to the offensive punch. Senior
Alex Laton tied her season-best kill total of 13 for the fifth time already this season.
Junior setter
Madison Burr, who came into UWF match with 1,700 career assists, tallied 33 more to continue her ascent to fifth in the all-time record books.
Upon the team's return, junior
Ana de Olano showed off her shooting touch at the Triton Tip-off, sinking a three-point basket to win a weekend resort stay in St. Pete Beach.
The Tritons continue Sunshine State Conference play against Florida Tech at 7 p.m. in Melbourne before hosting a “Dig Pink” breast cancer awareness contest on Saturday against Rollins at 4 p.m. in the McArthur Center.
