Box Score ORLANDO, Fla. - Hopes of a perfect weekend for Eckerd volleyball at the South Region Crossover didn't come to fruition as the Tritons fell in straight sets to the University of North Alabama in their final game on Saturday.
After winning both of its matches yesterday, Eckerd had issues solving UNA's attack. Â The Lions hit a blistering .471 for the match and committed just seven attack errors across the three sets as they posted wins of 25-13, 25-15 and 25-20.
The Tritons (13-5) fell behind early in the first set as UNA took points on eight of the first 10 rallies to build a quick 8-2 lead. Â A pair of four-point runs extended the lead to 18-7, a deficit that proved too difficult to overcome. Â Eckerd won points on four of the next five rallies but got no closer than eight points for the remainder of the set.
North Alabama (18-3) again took control early in set two, recording seven points in a nine-rally stretch for a 10-5 lead. The Tritons pulled back within four points on several occasions, but another run of four straight points pushed UNA's lead to 20-12. Â After EC cut the deficit to five, the Lions took the final five points of the set for a 2-0 lead.
In the third set, Eckerd cut a six-point UNA lead in half to trail 20-17 but the Lions closed the set and the match by winning five of the last six points to complete the sweep.
JaQuayla Baker led the way for Eckerd with nine kills while
Kali Boatwright added seven. Â
Gabriella Reis had 25 assists and
Kaitlyn Sibson posted 11 digs.
The Tritons return to conference play on Tuesday, traveling to face No. 22 Florida Southern at 7:00 PM. Â The Tritons won the first contest between the two teams this season in five sets in St. Petersburg.
