ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – This weekend the Eckerd College volleyball team is set to open the Sunshine State Conference schedule on the road this weekend against Nova Southeastern University and Lynn University.
After opening the season 2-2 at the Riverfront Hotel Grand Rapids Classic, Eckerd (6-2, 0-0 SSC) has since taken its last four games in straight 3-0 sets, including three wins at the Eckerd College Classic hosted at McArthur Center.
"The Grand Valley State tournament was a really strong tournament," EC Head Coach
Michelle Piantadosi said. "Our girls saw how good we are. They have a willingness to get better, and that weekend gave us confidence and showed us how much more potential we have."
Senior
Lindsay Biggs continues to be a force for the Tritons' squad. With 111 kills on the season, Biggs now holds the slot for second in Eckerd volleyball history for career kills, and her 78 digs have moved her into seventh for career digs (1,046).
Junior middle blockers
Grace Jones and
Katarina Milojevic have contributed largely to Eckerd's frontline defense. Jones is averaging 1.19 blocks per set while Milojevic is averaging 1.16 blocks per set, and the pair continue to impress Piantadosi.
"Our middles are doing great," she said. "They are just scratching the surface of how good they can be. It's a huge weapon."
The Tritons hold the advantage in the all-time record against both universities, going 24-21 against Nova Southeastern (3-5, 0-0 SSC) and 19-14 over Lynn (10-3, 0-0 SSC).
Nova Southeastern also made an appearance at the Eckerd College Classic hosted earlier this season. The Sharks went 0-3, falling to the University of Puerto Rico- Rio Piedras, Wilmington University and Bentley University and have since dropped a game to Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Lynn University was on an impressive seven-match win streak before falling to Bentley University on Sept. 21 in three sets.
"In this conference, anyone can win on any day," Piantadosi said. "I'm excited for two good matches, but we have to be at the top of our game and play our best."
For the last three weeks, Eckerd has received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll and most recently received 30 points in the poll released on Sept. 23. The team's best appearance in the voting occurred in the preseason poll released Aug. 13 where the team received 47 points.
The match between Eckerd and Nova Southeastern will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, and the match versus Lynn is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Check
www.eckerdtritons.com for links to live stats and video.
