ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd College volleyball team completes a three-game road series this weekend with a visit to Embry-Riddle on Friday for a 7:00 PM match followed by a trip to Rollins on Saturday for a 4:00 PM start.
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SETTING THE STAGEThe weekend is an important one for the Tritons (11-8, 3-5) as they continue to fight for position in the conference standings and the regional rankings. Friday's match at Embry-Riddle (12-7) is a non-conference affair, but still one that Eckerd wants to win as the Eagles have proven to be competitive in their first year as provisional SSC members. The weekend wraps up at Rollins (6-13, 2-5), which has won four straight matches heading into Friday.
LAST TIME THEY METIt's been a long time since Eckerd has faced Embry-Riddle - 13 years to be exact. The two teams last met in 2002, with the Eagles winning both contests including a 3-2 win on November 3.
Mackenzie Redner had a career-high 17 kills against Rollins on October 29, 2014, but it wasn't enough to get Eckerd past the Tars as the Tritons fell in four sets in Winter Park.
INSIDE THE SERIESvs. Embry-Riddle: The Eagles lead the all-time series, 6-3. They swept both meetings the last time they played back in 2002.
vs. Rollins: The Tars lead the all-time series, 52-20. Eckerd last defeated Rollins on November 9, 2013, in four sets. The Tars swept the season series last year.
ABOUT THE EAGLES- Embry-Riddle is in year two of the four-year transition to full membership in NCAA Division II and is a provisional member of the Sunshine State Conference. The Eagles were one of the premier programs in the NAIA before making the move to D-II.
- ERAU opened the season on an eight-match winning streak before losing to then-No. 9 Florida Southern at home. The Eagles are 3-6 against Sunshine State Conference opponents this season.
- The Embry-Riddle attack relies heavily on two players - Evelina Abdurakhmanova and Ana Pajic. Abdurakhmanova, a transfer from Western Wyoming Community College, averages an impressive 4.46 kills per set and has surpassed 20 kills in a match five times. Pajic averages 3.39 kills per set from her outside position.
ABOUT THE TARS- Rollins got off to a slow start this season, dropping 12 straight matches after winning its opener, but has since righted the ship by winning five of its last six contests. The turnaround for the Tars was evident in their 3-1 win over Florida Tech on Tuesday after losing in straight sets to FIT earlier in the year. They host Saint Leo on Friday before taking on Eckerd on Saturday.
- Bri Civerio leads the team's attack with 3.07 kills per set. Shannon McDonough (2.45) and Rachel Sawyer (2.28) are two additional options. Civiero posted a double-double on Tuesday against Florida Tech with 15 kills and 10 digs.
- Rollins ranks last in the SSC in attack percentage (.163) but leads the conference in blocks averaging 2.38 per set. Kianna Dieudonne is the team's top blocker with 66 total blocks entering Friday night. Dieudonne averages over one block per set as do Sam Schelsman and Kerra Tirado.
ABOUT THE TRITONS- It's been an up-and-down year for Eckerd so far, and Tuesday night was a down moment in a 3-0 loss at Saint Leo. Last weekend, the Tritons went 3-0 at the South Region Crossover behind a breakout performance from
JaQuayla Baker.
- Eckerd ranks fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.235) as does Baker, who enters the weekend hitting .327. Baker is hitting .455 over her last three matches.
- Despite a season-low four kills on Tuesday,
Tjasa Kotnik still ranks second in the conference in kills per set (3.94). She also leads the conference in total aces with 36.
- Even though she is a sophomore,
Kaitlyn Sibson is rapidly moving closer to jumping into the top 10 on the Eckerd career digs list. She stands to pass the 800 career-dig mark this weekend, putting her closer to the No. 10 spot currently held by Amy Smith (958 digs).
