Tritons Sweep Florida Tech, Get Back to .500

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Entering the weekend with four matches left in the season - all at home - the Eckerd volleyball team looked forward to the chance to finish the year on a high note.

Two matches down, and the note is definitely on the rise.

The Tritons picked up their second win in a row with a straight-sets victory over Florida Tech in the McArthur Center on Saturday, getting their overall record back to .500 in the process.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 3, Florida Tech 0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-20)
Records: Eckerd 14-14 (6-12 SSC); Florida Tech 9-20 (4-14 SSC)

KEY MOMENTS

• Florida Tech overcame an early four-point deficit in the first set, eventually tying the score at 16-16.  The Panthers committed a service error after an Eckerd timeout, the first of seven straight points for the Tritons as EC reached the verge of a comfortable win in the opening set.  FIT, however, responded with its own seven-point run to again tie the set at 23-23.  The Tritons still emerged with the win following a pair of Abbie O'Ferrell kills.
• After a kill by Florida Tech's Olivia Hersey opened set two, Eckerd won the next five points and led for the remainder of the set.  FIT managed to get back within a point at 8-7 before EC won another five points in a row.  The Panthers got no closer to the lead than three points the rest of the way as Eckerd took a 2-0 match lead.
• Eckerd again took control early in the third set, building an 11-7 lead after taking points on four of a five-rally series. The advantage soon grew to six points, only to see FIT quickly cut the deficit in half.  The teams then traded off three-point runs until the Tritons put the match away on a Lauren Kadilis kill and an Arielle Erillo ace.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• O'Ferrell followed her career performance on Friday with 13 kills and 10 digs. Sarah Johnshoy had nine kills while Paula Hoffmann added eight.
• The trio of Johnshoy, Hoffmann, and Rachel Wisian combined for 22 kills and only three errors.
• Erillo had four of EC's seven aces as well as 19 digs, 11 of which came in the first set.
• The Tritons hit .221 while limiting Florida Tech to a .160 attack percentage.

UP NEXT
The Tritons enter the final week of the season on Thursday hosting Nova Southeastern (6-23, 4-15 SSC) for a 7:00 PM first serve.