Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It was almost a perfect weekend for the Eckerd College Triton volleyball team.
But a rapid turnaround in the third set of their final match of the day changed that, as the Tritons lost a five-set contest to Seton Hill (Pa.) after an earlier three-set sweep of West Liberty (Pa.) at the Eckerd College Classic.
Eckerd (5-2) rolled past the Hilltoppers in the opener winning 25-17, 25-11 and 26-24 behind 16 kills from
Tjasa Kotnik and 12 from
JaQuayla Baker as the Tritons hit an impressive .319 in the match. EC jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first set, then did it again in the second set before finding itself in a battle in the third set. The Tritons finally put the match away on consecutive kills by
Rachel Cornatzer and
Lauryn Nelson.
After the Tritons took set one, the Griffins (6-2) ended Eckerd's streak of consecutive sets won at 13 taking a tight 27-25 win in set two of the finale. The Tritons, though, raced out to a 16-7 lead in the third set and seemed to have things well in hand.
Instead, SHU battled back to erase the nine-point deficit and take a 19-18 lead following a run of five straight points aided by three Eckerd errors. EC pulled back ahead, 23-21, before Seton Hill completed the comeback by rolling off three straight points after the Tritons got it to set point.
Eckerd bounced back for a convincing fourth-set win but fell behind early in set five and never recovered.
Kotnik (20 kills, 15 digs) and
Katie Arnette (15 kills, 19 digs) both posted double-doubles in the match.Â
Kaitlyn Sibson had a match-high 25 digs while Nelson contributed 17 kills.
The Tritons return to the floor on Friday opening Sunshine State Conference play with a trip to defending national champion, the University of Tampa, for a 7:00 PM match.
Â
