Tampa to Host Florida Tech in Thursday Showdown
The No. 8 Spartans have the opportunity to clinch sole possession of the Sunshine State Conference Championship with a win over the Panthers.
TAMPA, Fla. – Welcoming Florida Tech for a Thursday night showdown, the No. 8 University of Tampa volleyball team has the chance to claim the 2015 Sunshine State Conference crown outright at home in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center.
The Spartans enter the match first in the SSC behind an 11-1 conference record and are 22-5 overall on their 2015 campaign. The Panthers carry an even 13-13 record with a 4-10 tally in SSC action.
UT bested Barry University in consecutive sets in its last matchup, clinching at least a share of the SSC title with the win. Seniors Marissa Lisenbee and Berkley Whaley provided a 10-kill attack each as the pins produced the most offense for Tampa. Libero Logan Holanchock combined with outside hitters Allee Stelogeannis and Whaley to anchor the back row, as the freshman tallied nine digs to compliment eight each from the outside hitting tandem.
Four-time SSC Offensive Player of the Week Jessica Wagner leads head coach Chris Catanach's squad. The middle blocker is dynamic at the net, posting 290 kills at a conference-leading .413 attack efficiency while providing 104 total blocks on defense.
Pin hitters Whaley and Lisenbee rank at the top of the squad in kills with 366 and 339, respectively, as the Spartans have a triple threat on offense. Both hitters are swinging at a .288 attack percentage on the season.
Holanchock tops the back-row defense, notching 508 digs in her first collegiate season. The last Spartan to eclipse 500 digs was Julie Howlett during the 2010 season, needing 35 matches to accomplish the feat.
Florida Tech is fresh off a 3-1 upset victory over No. 17 Florida Southern College on Tuesday evening. Right side Kim Juriga was the offensive catalyst for the Panthers, grounding 15 kills at a blistering .542 clip. The senior added three blocks for FIT as they battled Florida Southern to a four-set win.
Offensively, Alea Hamm leads the Panthers with 223 kills at a .268 attack percentage while adding 99 blocks on defense.
Tampa is a perfect 70-0 against Florida Tech, taking a 3-1 road contest in a meeting earlier this year against the Panthers. Wagner unleashed an 18-kill onslaught to lead the Spartans to victory while Whaley turned a double-double performance with 17 kills and 11 digs. Freshman Holanchock posted a match-high 20 digs in the four-set win.
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