SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Eckerd College volleyball team concluded its regular season with a win over Saint Leo University in straight sets, 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-20),
Tuesday night at the Bowman Center.
The Tritons (20-9, 11-5 SSC) evened out the score against the Lions (21-10, 8-6 SSC) after falling earlier in the season and finished the Sunshine State Conference schedule 9-1 after starting out 2-4.
The win solidifies Eckerd's second-place finish in the conference rankings behind No. 1 University of Tampa, the program's third consecutive runner-up placing in the SSC. The Tritons are headed to the postseason as a dangerous draw having assembled 11 wins in their last 12 matches played.
Eckerd is now positioned for favorable seeding in the South Region when the NCAA Championship bracket is unveiled
next Monday night at
7:30 p.m. EST. The Tritons will be headed to the national tournament for the seventh time in the past eight years.
"Tonight was a great win for our program," EC Head Coach
Michelle Piantadosi said. "I'm so proud of the run we've made.
"Madison [Burr] was a huge factor in our win tonight," she added. "She's been making really great decisions and putting the ball in good locations to set up our hitters for success, and it's showing in our hitting percentage."
Eckerd opened the first set on a five-point run initiated by a kill from junior
Ali McAlvany to take an 8-5 lead. Later in the set, a kill from sophomore
Tjasa Kotnik put the Tritons ahead, 16-12, triggering a Saint Leo timeout.
The Lions used their final timeout trailing 21-14 after a big block from three-time conference defensive player of the week
Katarina Milojevic and senior
Ana de Olano.
Saint Leo made a late 3-0 push to pull within five, but the Tritons snuffed out the Lions' last hope with a kill from McAlvany to end the set.
Eckerd and Saint Leo played point-for-point before the Lions pulled away on a 5-0 run to take an 11-6 lead. McAlvany broke up the run with a kill.
Eckerd continued to battle and gained the lead, 15-14, on five straight kills -- three from
Lindsay Biggs, one from Burr and one from Kotnik -- and the Lions called timeout.
Once gaining the lead, Eckerd put away the second set on a kill from McAlvany.
Early in the third set, the Tritons took six straight points to climb to a 12-7 lead, prompting a Saint Leo timeout. The Tritons continued to build on their lead and led by seven on a kill from de Olano.
However, Saint Leo pulled to within three, 21-18, on a kill from junior Lauren Campbell. Campbell finished with a team-high nine kills.
But sophomore
Emily Schadow sealed the game and the match by dishing out a service ace.
Biggs led the Tritons with 16 kills, and McAlvany added 13 to contribute to the team's .333 hitting percentage. Eckerd held Saint Leo to just a .205 attacking percentage.
The Tritons will have over a two-week break before the NCAA Division II Championship South Regional begins at a site to be determined. Fans are invited to join the team and coaching staff for a live viewing of the NCAA's selection show
on Monday night at the Triton's Pub on campus.
