ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - This week marks the beginning of basketball season as the Triton women host part of the South Region Crossover at the McArthur Center over the weekend while the men travel to Cleveland, Miss., for to play in the same challenge event. Volleyball continues SSC action with a pair of road matches as the team approaches the final week of the regular season. Finally, coed sailing will travel to compete in the Atlantic Coast Championships on Saturday and Sunday.
VOLLEYBALL
Tuesday: at #24 Saint Leo | 7:00 PM | Marion Bowman Activities Center | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday: at Lynn | 4:00 PM | de Hoernle Sports & Culture Center | Live Stats | Live Video
* Eckerd (14-9, 7-8 SSC) enters the week looking to carry the momentum of a weekend with wins over Barry and Nova Southeastern as they travel to take on No 24 Saint Leo on Tuesday and Lynn on Saturday.
* The Triton attack is led by
Paula Hoffmann with 294 kills. Hoffmann's 3.72 kills per set rank sixth in the conference. Rounding out the balanced attack are
Mackenzie Redner (149 kills),
Stephanie Karlovics (134), and
Abbie O'Ferrell (130). Eckerd leads the conference behind the service line with 153 aces.
Arielle Erillo leads the conference with 41 aces, recording seven over the two matches this past weekend.
*
Kaitlyn Sibson paces the back row with 442 digs. Sibson averages a conference second-best 5.14 digs per set. Karlovics has posted 65 total blocks averaging 0.77 blocks per set to lead the team.
* No. 24 Saint Leo (18-5, 12-3 SSC) also enters the week coming off two wins during the weekend. Ashley Quero and Victoria Omoregie lead a balanced Lions attack with 235 and 225 kills respectively, while Jenya Kruglova leads the defense with 406 digs.
* Lynn (8-14, 6-10 SSC) went 2-1 last week in conference play. Sonja Udovcic leads the Fighting Knights with 289 kills while Rafaela Fonseca sits just behind her with 257 kills. Udovcic also tops the defense with 341 digs.
* Earlier this season, Eckerd lost to Saint Leo and beat Lynn, both in four sets. In the win over Lynn, Hoffmann recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 18 digs.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Friday: vs West Alabama | 6:00 PM | McArthur Center | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday: vs Christian Brothers | 3:00 PM | McArthur Center | Live Stats | Live Video
* Eckerd will begin the season hosting a portion the SSC-GSC Crossover at the McArthur Center playing West Alabama on Friday and Christian Brothers (Tenn.) on Saturday. Eckerd had one preseason exhibition game, beating the Costa Rican National Team, 93-49.
* Eckerd returns two all-conference performers in
Kacie Juday and
Ada Yalcin. Juday was the team's second-leading scorer averaging 11.8 points per game as well as 6.5 rebounds per game. Yalcin led the team in assists last season at 3.9 per game while also averaging 7.1 points per game.
* Last season West Alabama finished 8-21, while Christian Brothers went 13-14.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Friday: at #25 Delta State | 8:00 PM | Cleveland, Miss. | Walter Sillers Coliseum | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday: vs West Alabama | 6:00 PM | Cleveland, Miss. | Walter Sillers Coliseum | Live Stats | Live Video
*Coming off the program's 13th national tournament appearance, Eckerd is picked fourth in the SSC preseason coaches' poll. Eckerd returns the team's leading scorer,
Drushaun McLaurn, who averaged 16.8 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Also back is
Trevon Young, who averaged 12.1 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.
* Delta State (Miss.), ranked No. 25 in the NABC Coaches Poll, finished last season 23-9 and West Alabama finished with a record of 10-18. The Tritons hosted both teams last year during the crossover, defeating UWA and losing to Delta State.
SAILING
Saturday/Sunday: Atlantic Coast Coed Championships | Bronx, N.Y.
Saturday/Sunday: Atlantic Coast Women's Championships | New London, Ct.
* Eckerd last sailed two weeks ago placing second at the SAISA Coed Championships. The finish qualified Eckerd for the Atlantic Coast Coed Championships this weekend. The Tritons also qualified for the ACC Women's Regatta, which sails in New London, Connecticut.
