No. 23 Tampa Hosts Rival Florida Southern for a Tuesday Night Rematch
The Spartans get their chance at redemption as they meet the Mocs in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center for a rematch of their 3-2 loss on the road to FSC.
TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 23 University of Tampa volleyball team will battle its biggest rival in Florida Southern College for a 7 p.m. home contest on Tuesday, Nov. 1 in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center. The meeting marks the 129th matchup between the rivals as FSC took the first meeting of the season on their campus by a close 3-2 final score.
The Matchup: No. 23 University of Tampa (17-6, 7-3 SSC) vs. Florida Southern College (15-7, 7-3 SSC)
• The top two offenses in the Sunshine State Conference will once again square-off in a crucial conference showdown. FSC took the last meeting earlier in the season as Tampa dropped a 3-2 thriller at Jenkins Field House on Sept. 27.
• In the last meeting, senior Allee Stelogeannis led UT with 16 kills while right side hitter Katie McKiel posted 13 at a respectable .294 clip. FSC outside hitters Anna Tovo and Nicole Mattson led the contest with 23 and 20 kills respectively.
• Reigning SSC Defensive Player of the Week Taylor Fosler posted career-highs in kills and blocks with 11 and six, respectively. The freshman hit a match-best .579 attack percentage in Tampa's last meeting with the Mocs.
• Libero Logan Holanchock sits 24 digs shy of her 1,000 in her career. The St. Augustine, Fla. native will be just the second Spartan to achieve the feat in her second season of play, dating back to AVCA All-American libero Margeaux Sinibaldi (2004-07).
Date/Time: Tuesday, November 1 at 7 p.m.
Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla.
Last Time Out: Tampa took a 3-0 win over provisional SSC foe Embry-Riddle, as Stelogeannis blasted 21 kills at a .450 clip. Setter Jen Aprile tuned the Spartan attack with 21 assists, combining her team-best 16 digs for a double-double.
About the Spartans: UT is led offensively by 346 kills from outside hitter Stelogeannis. Libero Holanchock anchors the Spartan back row with 370 digs while Stelogeannis ranks second on the team with 285. The net defense relies on the UT middles as Alexandra Misca and Fosler have 62 and 59 total blocks, respectively.
About the Mocs: Tovo and Mattson lead the Mocs offensively, as the outside hitters totaled 364 and 229 kills, respectively. Mattson has been on an absolute tear, posting 52 kills in her last three matches, averaging 4.33 per set.
Rankings: Tampa continues as the No. 23 team in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaches Poll while Florida Southern College drops out of the weekly rankings for the first time this season. The Spartans have maintained a ranking for a program-record 279 consecutive polling periods, a record that ranks second in Division II (No. 16 Central Missouri).
Concordia, St. Paul reclaims the No. 1 rank in the latest AVCA poll, passing Minnesota-Duluth who fell in the to No. 2 after losing to unranked Sioux Falls in five sets. The No. 2 Bulldogs rebounded with a sweep of then-No. 2 Southwest Minn. State, but the win was not enough to keep the top-rank in D-II. Nebraska-Kearney, SMSU and Wheeling Jesuit round out the top five. The lone remaining regional foe in the AVCA poll is No. 12 Palm Beach Atlantic.
Series History: Florida Southern has the most wins among any team in the Sunshine State Conference against Tampa, taking 58 wins. The Spartans still own a 70-58 advantage against the Mocs, with FSC taking the two most recent matchups. Pacing the FSC attack is setter Bethany Bescancenez, as the sophomore has 936 assists to combine with 205 digs, 39 kills, 29 blocks and 16 service aces. Libero Brindl Langley has a team-best 397 digs while Allie Geary leads in blocks with 71.
Tickets: Tickets for are $5 for adults, senior citizens and coaches. Children under 12 will be admitted free. UT students, faculty and staff will be admitted free with a valid student ID.
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