ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd volleyball team didn't drop a set the entire weekend, remaining undefeated to start the season with a pair of straight-set victories over Florida Tech and Tiffin (Ohio) on Saturday at the McArthur Center as part of the Eckerd Invitational.
EC fell behind early in the opening set against the Panthers, 12-6, but closed the set on a 13-5 run to take it, 26-24. Following a back-and-forth start to the second set, Eckerd used an 8-2 run to distance themselves before taking the stanza, 25-20, and the finale, 25-19.
The Tritons controlled the tempo early on against the Dragons, cruising to a 25-11 opening set victory. EC used a 7-2 run midway through the second set to distance themselves before taking it, 25-19. Eckerd breezed in the final set, 25-16.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
FINAL: Eckerd 3, Florida Tech 0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-19)
Game Two
FINAL: Eckerd 3, Tiffin 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-16)
RECORDS: Eckerd (4-0), Florida Tech (2-2), Tiffin (3-1)
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Anna Jungjohann and Damyah Joyner led EC in the opener with 11 kills each, hitting over .300.
- Krysten Garrison dished out 38 assists in the opener and 27 in the finale. She averaged 11.67 per set for the tournament.
- Ashley Eck posted a career-high 22 digs in the back row against the Panthers. She also recorded seven aces in the match, which are the most in a single game since Agata Sklepik's seven on November 23, 2019. Eck added another 19 digs in the finale. She ends the weekend with 5.33 digs per set.
- Stella Antypa nearly missed a double-double with nine kills and 11 digs in the opener.
- Eckerd posted a balanced scoring attack in the finale. Antypa led EC with nine kills, while Sklepik, Joyner, and Jungjohann posted seven.
- Eckerd posted a .356-hitting percentage throughout the weekend.
- Eckerd went 4-0 at the Invitational for the first time since 2017.
QUOTABLE
"I was really impressed with the team chemistry this weekend. We are playing like a unit already, which is amazing for us since we have so many new players," said head coach Michelle Piantadosi-Lima. "Their hard work in preseason really paid off."
UP NEXT
Eckerd heads to the Flagler Invitational next weekend, starting with a match on Friday against Southern New Hampshire at 11:00 AM.
