Tampa Volleyball Participates in AVCA Division II Championship

DALLAS, Texas - The University of Tampa volleyball team competed in the 2021 AVCA Division II Women's National Championship. This was the first time that the AVCA has held this competition for Division II indoor volleyball. 

The Spartans opened up play last Wednesday as they played Texas Woman's and Harding. They would beat Texas Woman's 3-1 and then returned to beat Harding 3-2. On Thursday, the Spartans returned to play as they finished up pool play against Flagler, winning 3-0. Later that day would be the quarterfinals, as UT would square off against Texas-Tyler, again winning that matchup 3-0. 

On Friday, the Spartans were in the semifinals of the tournament, where they met Texas A&M International. The Spartans would again play a strong game, winning 3-0 over the Dustdevils. 

The Spartans would wrap up the tournament against Angelo State where they played in the championship match. The two teams would battle in the matchup, but the Rams would end up on top, winning 3-2. 

For their efforts, two Spartans would be named to the All-Tournament team. Kalli Cors would earn all-tournament honors after recording 19 kills in the championship game.  Sorrel Houghton was also selected after recording 14 kills in the finals. Claudia Rivera was also recognized for outstanding tournament play, for her performance throughout all six games. 

When asked about the tournament head coach Chris Catanach said, "What an exciting week it was for our players and coaches.  This was a tremendous development opportunity for our kids and they took advantage of it by playing for the Championship. Thank you to the AVCA for providing us with an opportunity to feel normal again."