Box Score
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – The Eckerd College volleyball program stormed back from a two-set deficit, but couldn't stop upset-minded Barry University to conclude the regular season on Friday night, falling 2-3 (24-26, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 9-15).
Sophomore middle and current Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week
Katarina Milojevic recorded 12 kills and five blocks. Junior
Lindsay Biggs shattered 400 kills for the season with 16 and sophomore
Ali McAlvany totaled 15.
Tania Torres, Jayla Trombley and Laine Cielena, each tallied 12 kills for the Buccaneers (17-12, 9-6 SSC) while crafty setter Mima Hajdukovic finished with 11 to go with 44 assists.
The Tritons (21-9, 12-4 SSC) suffered their second five-set setback in the week after taking No. 7 University of Tampa to the brink of defeat on Wednesday night.
The Tritons now await their postseason destination in the NCAA Tournament South Regional to be announced on Sunday night at 10 p.m. The team will be hosting a Selection Sunday viewing gathering open to the public in the Triton's Pub on campus.
With a pair of in-region losses this week, Eckerd will most likely be overtaken for its current No. 2 seed in the regional rankings by some kind of combination between the University of West Florida and Palm Beach Atlantic University.
EC still locked up a runner-up finish in the SSC regular-season standings for the second year in a row with a 12-4 record in league play this fall. The program is primed for an exciting and impressive sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the past seven years.
“Barry played a great game and tonight will be a little bit of a wake-up call,” EC Head Coach
Michelle Piantadosi said. “Our girls have taken care of business up to this point. We've won games that we were supposed to win and we're going to use tonight's loss for good going into the postseason.”
The Tritons had their backs to the wall in the third set as the Buccaneers were primed for a sweep. Barry was able to get out to a 6-4 lead before a 5-0 Eckerd run switched momentum.
EC sustained its strong play in the fourth set, again overcoming an early deficit to seize control and push the envelope for a decisive fifth and final set.
As a team, EC hit .368 and .294 in the third and fourth sets, respectively.
The Tritons never got a chance to enjoy the lead in the final frame as the Bucs jumped out with a 4-1 run. Barry engineered a 5-0 run to lead 11-5 and eventually closed it out by recording the match's final two points.
Milojevic and senior
Olivia Fraser each ended the regular season with over 100 blocks. Biggs and
Kaleigh Humphrey each recorded 16 digs while setters
Madison Burr and
Emily Schadow accounted for 52 of the team's 56 assists.
