ST. PETERSBURG – The Eckerd volleyball team delivered a dominant performance from the service line on Tuesday, collecting 15 aces in a 3-0 sweep of Saint Leo from inside the McArthur Center. Eckerd claimed the match by scores of 25-14, 25-18, and 25-18, holding the Lions to a .100 hitting percentage.
The 15 aces marked the Tritons' most in a match since October 2024, when Eckerd also recorded 15 against Saint Leo.
Saint Leo held an early 6-4 lead in the opening set before Eckerd used a 6-2 stretch to take a 10-8 advantage, highlighted by three kills from Hayden Nash and an ace by Jaelynn Tunley. The Tritons maintained their lead before rattling off five consecutive points behind Jaiden Harris' serve to build a 22-13 cushion. Tunley closed the frame with a kill and an ace for the 25-14 victory.
Eckerd carried its momentum into the second set, jumping ahead 3-0 and extending its lead to 8-3. Hruska then took over from the service line, delivering four consecutive aces as part of a six-point run that pushed the Tritons' advantage to 14-3. Eckerd stretched its lead to as many as 12 at 20-8 before Saint Leo made a late push with five straight points, trimming the deficit to 23-17. Grace Dumont recorded the final two Eckerd kills to secure the 25-18 victory.
The Lions held an early 4-2 advantage in the third set before Eckerd responded with a 5-1 stretch to take a 7-5 lead. With the frame tied at 7-7, the Tritons rattled off four consecutive points, highlighted by two Harris aces and a kill from Lilli Weber. Saint Leo narrowed the gap to 16-15 before a Peyton Walker kill sparked a three-point stretch, including back-to-back aces from Hruska. Leading 20-17, Eckerd used a four-point run, capped by an Elayna Rickmon ace, to reach match point before sealing the sweep, 25-18.
Nash and Walker paced the Tritons with eight kills apiece. Walker hit .800 on 10 attempts, while Dumont added six kills on a .500 clip and dished out a match-high 26 assists.
Hruska finished with seven aces, four kills, and nine digs. Tunley added three aces, while Rickmon and Harris chipped in two each. Williams rounded out the serving effort with one ace.
Defensively, Hruska and Maggie Turner led Eckerd with nine digs apiece, while Williams and Tunley added seven each.
The Tritons will remain home to host Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday.
