Tritons Test No. 5 Tampa Before Falling in Four Sets

Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd College volleyball team suffered the same fate many others have suffered against No. 5 Tampa on Tuesday night, but the Tritons didn't go down easily.

Eckerd dominated the second set, sending the Spartans to one of their worst set losses in recent memory, and fended off match point five times in the fourth set before Tampa finally put it away to earn a hard-fought 3-1 win in the McArthur Center.

Tampa (21-4, 10-1) came back from an 11-7 deficit in the first set, using a six-point run to take a 16-12 lead and closed the set with points in six of the last seven rallies for a 25-17 win.

The second set, however, belonged to Eckerd.  Once again, the Tritons jumped out to an early lead on the strength of eight straight points for a 9-2 lead.  This time, though, the Spartans never could cut into the lead.  Eckerd led by as many as 14 points before posting a 25-13 win to even the match at one set apiece.  The Triton defense was particularly strong in the second set, limiting UT to a -.118 hitting percentage.

The Spartans returned the favor in the third set, turning a 13-11 lead into a 25-13 win started by a series of four kills by Marissa Lisenbee.

Eckerd (13-11, 4-7) again jumped out to an early lead in the fourth set, scoring points on eight of the first nine rallies to take a commanding lead.  The Spartans, though, systematically worked their way back into the set tying it at 12-12 and later used four straight points to go up 20-16.  The Tritons pulled back within two points twice, but UT again pushed ahead by four to get to match point.

But EC refused to go away quietly, taking the next four points to tie the set at 24-24 and send it into extra points.  A Berkley Whaley kill again got Tampa to match point but JaQuayla Baker answered with a kill to again tie the match.  However, the Spartans were able to take the next two points on another Whaley kill and a Whaley block to finish off the match.

Tjasa Kotnik had a big night for Eckerd with a match-high 18 kills to go along with 13 digs and three blocks.  Baker added 11 kills while Lauryn Nelson had eight.  Kaitlyn Sibson posted 16 digs as she continues to close in on 900 for her career.

The Tritons start a four-match road swing this weekend with visits to Florida Tech on Friday and No. 19 Florida Southern on Saturday.