Box Score WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Playing like a team that reached the national championship game last year, the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish proved to be too much for the Eckerd volleyball team on Friday night, sweeping the Tritons in straight sets (16-25, 11-25, 16-25).
The No. 16 Sailfish (8-3) used early runs in the first two sets to build big leads. Â After Eckerd pulled within three points early in set one following a
Sarah Johnshoy kill, PBA took five straight points and 11 of the next 14 to take a 19-7 lead. Â Eckerd managed to cut the deficit down to eight points but got no closer as Palm Beach Atlantic hit .406 in the set.
PBA continued its hot play in the second set, jumping out to a 9-2 lead taking advantage of seven Eckerd errors. Â The lead fluctuated between seven and 10 points for much of the set from that point on until the Sailfish rolled off six straight points to close it out for a 2-0 advantage.
Eckerd stayed close for the majority of the third set, pulling within three points on several occasions before PBA again closed strong. Â The Sailfish took points on seven of the last eight rallies of the set to finish the match with a three-set victory.
Attack errors plagued the Tritons, committing 23 and hitting .086 for the match, Â PBA, by contrast, committed just nine attack errors and hit .306. Â
Lauryn Nelson,
Madison Whiting and
Katie Arnette each had six kills for Eckerd while
Gabriella Reis had 19 assists. Â Whiting and
Kaitlyn Sibson had 10 digs apiece to lead the back row.
The Tritons (7-4) return to Sunshine State Conference play tomorrow with a visit to Nova Southeastern at 4:00 PM.
