WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - After closing out the regular season with a four-match win streak, the Eckerd College volleyball team has the chance to keep the streak alive as it begins play in the NCAA Division II National Tournament on Thursday afternoon while taking on a very familiar opponent.
WHAT: No. 7 Eckerd (17-13, 7-9 SSC) vs. No. 2 Tampa (26-5, 15-1 SSC)
WHERE: Rubin Arena, Palm Beach Atlantic University, 2:30 PM
WATCH: Live Stats |
Live VideoABOUT THE SPARTANS- Tampa begins its path of defending its 2014 National Championship, although the Spartans find themselves in the rare position of playing a regional tournament away from home. Palm Beach Atlantic took the top seed and the host honors thanks in large part to a 3-0 win over UT in November. The bid marks the 20th straight year that the Spartans have advanced into the postseason.
- The Spartans feature three of the top hitters in the region in Berkley Whaley, Marissa Lisenbee and Jessica Wagner. Whaley, the region player of the year, averages 4.0 kills per set while hitting .300. She is also solid on the back row, averaging 3.15 digs per set. Lisenbee posts 3.53 kills per set while Wagner averages 2.91. All three players are seniors.
- Tampa is ranked No. 6 in the AVCA Division II National Coaches Poll entering the tournament. The Spartans are among the best hitting teams in the nation, ranking seventh in hitting percentage (.280) and 13th in kills per set (14.1). They are also strong at the net defensively, ranking 21st in the nation in blocks per set (2.38).
ABOUT THE TRITONS- Eckerd won its last four games of the regular season to claim a bid to the South Regional Tournament. The Tritons were barely challenged in those wins, taking two in straight sets and two in four sets while winning the 12 sets by an average of nearly seven points.
- EC is making its eighth all-time appearance in the NCAA National Tournament and third under head coach
Michelle Piantadosi. The Tritons advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2011 and the second round in 2009. Eckerd is the No. 7 seed in the South Region.
- Senior outside hitter
Tjasa Kotnik has put together one of the best seasons in program history. She enters the tournament with the third-most kills in a single season (474), leaving her in need of 14 more to set the program's single-season record. She also needs nine kills to become the 10th player in program history to reach 1000 career kills. Kotnik's play earned her AVCA All-South Region honors as well as First Team All-SSC honors.
- Sophomore libero
Kaitlyn Sibson cracked the 1000 career digs mark in Eckerd's final home game, a 3-0 win over Embry-Riddle (Fla.) University. She needs six digs to set a new single-season digs record, entering the day with 531 on the season.
LOOKING BACKTampa took both regular season meetings between the two schools in four sets both times. Eckerd, though, did hand the Spartans their worst set loss in a long time after taking the second set, 25-13, in the November 3 matchup in St. Petersburg..
