TAMPA, Fla. – The Eckerd volleyball team makes its first trip to the NCAA South Regional Tournament since 2017 on Friday when the fourth-seed Tritons take on the fifth-seeded Argonauts at 5:00 PM.
Friday: No. 4 Eckerd vs. No. 5 West Florida | 5:00 PM | Bob Martinez Athletic Center
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ABOUT THE TRITONS
- Eckerd (24-6) jumped out to a hot start, 9-0, on the season, winning 22 straight sets.
- The Tritons knocked off nationally-ranked opponents three times this season, defeating No. 4 Tampa, 3-2, No. 13 West Florida, 3-1, and most recently swept No. 16 Barry, 3-0. Eckerd had two nine-game win streaks this season.
- Eckerd had three players receive all-conference honors: Krysten Garrison was named to the All-SSC first team, Anna Jungjohann was named to the All-SSC second team, and Ashley Eck was named to the All-SSC third team.
- Eckerd sits atop the conference in service aces with 102 aces, averaging 1.89 per set.
- Jungjohann and Garrison are top five in the conference in hitting percentage, with .360 and .359 percentages, respectively.
- Kalli Schoening and Ashley Eck lead the Tritons' defense, as Schoening averages 1.02 blocks per set and Eck averages 4.56 digs per set.
- Four Tritons rank in the top 25 in the conference in points per set. Joelle Coulter (3.77), Jungjohann (3.35), Stella Antypa (2.97), and Damyah Joyner (2.72) have led the Tritons this season.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS
- West Florida is the only team out of the Gulf South Conference to make the NCAA Regional Tournament.
- In the Gulf South Conference, the Argos led in every offensive category, with a team hitting percentage of .281 percent, averaging 17.47 points per game, 12.81 assists per game, and 14.05 kills per game.
- West Florida ranks sixth in all of Division II with their .281 hitting percentage.
- Avery Rogers leads the Argos with 2.82 kills per set, and Taylor Vaneekern - the D2CCA South Region Player of the Year - averages 10.53 assists per set.
- West Florida has not lost a match since their 3-1 loss to Eckerd at the South Region Crossover tournament on October 14.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- The Argos have a 9-6 series lead on the Tritons. However, the Tritons have won their last three matchups. In neutral-site games, The Tritons have a 4-3 lead.
- The last time these two teams faced off in the NCAA South Regional tournament was in 2013, when the Tritons fell 3-2 after rallying from a two-set deficit.
- Earlier this season, Eckerd defeated West Florida, 3-1, at the South Region Crossover tournament in Birmingham, Ala. In that game, Jungjohann led the way with 14 kills, tallying 15.5 points. Garrison had 40 assists on the night, and three players notched double-digit digs.
- EC's 24 wins this season are the most wins in a single-season since Michelle Piantadosi-Lima has been the head coach and the most since 2011 (27 wins).
- The winner of the game will face the winner of No. 1 Tampa/Spring Hill Saturday at 7:30 PM.
