Tritons Stay Atop SSC with Five-Set Win over Lynn

Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If the ability to win close sets and close matches is the sign of a great volleyball team, the Eckerd Tritons are beginning to look like they could fit the bill.

Three nights after taking a trio of two-point set wins in a sweep of Saint Leo (Fla.), the Tritons held off Lynn (Fla.) in a classic five-setter (15-25, 25-23, 26-24, 28-30, 15-11) to maintain their spot atop the Sunshine State Conference standings.

"I don't think we played as clean and with as much rhythm as we usually do," EC head coach Michelle Piantadosi said, "but it makes this win even more valuable because we earned the win when things weren't smooth.  We gritted this one out and I'm proud of the fight of this team."

After a comfortable set one win for the Fighting Knights, the remaining four sets all proved to be battles until the end.  And along the way, the Tritons got a series of momentum-changing plays that helped determine the outcome.

Tied 23-23 in the second set, Kaitlyn Sibson turned an over pass into a kill as she placed the ball perfectly just over the net near the left line.  That got Eckerd to set point, which it then won on a kill from Sarah Johnshoy to square the match at one set apiece.

In the third set, the Tritons (10-4, 4-1 SSC) faced set point down 24-21.  Unfazed, EC took the next five points - two on Katie Arnette kills - to turn it into a 26-24 win and a 2-1 match lead.

Lynn (8-4, 2-2 SSC) returned the favor in the fourth set, coming back from a 20-17 deficit and fending off match point on four occasions before taking three straight points to force a fifth set with a 30-28 win.

That's when Kali Boatwright took over, accounting for 7.5 points in the set on seven kills and a block assist.  Her combination block with Johnshoy and three straight kills helped Eckerd jump out to a quick lead that it wouldn't relinquish, although the Knights made it interesting by cutting a six-point deficit down to one after the Tritons went up 10-4.

But Boatwright helped finish the set and the match with two more kills sandwiched around a JaQuayla Baker block as Eckerd won its third five-set match of the season.

Once again, Piantadosi attributed the win to having several options to which she can turn.

"Our depth played a huge role in this win," she said.  "Knowing that we can turn to the bench to come in and make clutch plays and change the momentum makes us hard to scout and hard to stop."

Four players hit double digits in kills led by Baker and Arnette with 13 each.  Lauryn Nelson had 11 while Boatwright added 10.  Gabriella Reis recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 49 assists and 10 digs.  Sibson had 25 digs to lead all players while Arielle Erillo returned to the lineup with 10 digs.  Johnshoy posted 10 blocks, the most by an Eckerd player since Katarina Milojevic had 10 on November 15, 2013.

After a slow start on offense, the Tritons recovered to hit .258 for the match including .556 in the final set.  EC also recorded a season-high 16 total blocks.

The Tritons return to the floor tomorrow hosting Barry (Fla.) at 4:00 PM.