Box Score FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - On several occasions, Eckerd volleyball head coach
Michelle Piantadosi has referred to her team as resilient.
After a tough outing one night earlier, her squad showed off that resiliency in bouncing back to record a five-set win over Nova Southeastern (Fla.) on Saturday afternoon in Sunshine State Conference play.
If there was any doubt about the team's mentality heading into the fifth set, Eckerd quickly erased it.
The Tritons took the set's first six points, three via blocks and three via kills.
JaQuayla Baker and
Kali Boatwright both came up big during the run as Baker had a kill and three blocks while Boatwright had two kills and a block assist.
The quick start to the final set established the tone of the rest of the finale as EC led by as many as eight points on its way to the 15-10 win.
Before the crucial fifth set, the match had seen plenty of momentum swings. The Tritons (8-4, 2-1 SSC) dominated the opening set, 25-14, while hitting .379 to take the early lead. Nova bounced back, though, to win the second set by a comfortable 25-19 margin to even things up going into the long break.
Eckerd then took the third set in a nail-biter after the Sharks erased a six-point deficit to eventually take a 21-20 lead. The Tritons followed up with three straight points, then got to set point three times before finally putting it away on a Baker kill and an NSU attack error.
The Sharks (6-6, 1-3 SSC) responded again in the fourth set, leading the entire way to take a 25-21 win and extend the contest to the decisive fifth set.
That's when the Tritons showed the resiliency that Piantadosi often references.
"This was a true team win tonight with all 16 players contributing," she said. "We had to dig deep and find our fight, and I think we did that this weekend after coming off a disappointing performance on Friday."
Depth and balance have been a strong point for Eckerd all season, and tonight was a prime example of how strong it can be. Six players tallied at least six kills and the team got big reserve performances from Boatwright (four kills in the fifth set) and
Mackenzie Redner (eight kills).
"Mackenzie and Kali came off the bench and created a spark that was crucial to our success," said Piantadosi. "Gabby played her best in the fifth set making key decisions and distributing the ball so well. Overall, I'm very happy with the team and excited to build off this win."
Baker and
Sarah Johnshoy were dominant in the middle for Eckerd. Baker had a team-high 16 kills and seven total blocks while Johnshoy had 12 kills and four blocks.
Gabriella Reis posted her fourth double-double with 16 digs and a career-best 52 assists.
Kaitlyn Sibson led the back row with 24 digs, her sixth match this year with at least 20.
The Tritons return to St. Petersburg to host three contests next week, beginning with Saint Leo on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.
