The Eckerd Tritons women’s volleyball team lost to the visiting No. 3 Tampa Spartans 3-1 on Sept. 18 at McArthur Center in St. Petersburg. Eckerd won the opening set 25-8 before Tampa responded with victories of 25-22, 25-18 and 25-22 in the Sunshine State Conference match. Seiler Hruska led Eckerd with 18 kills while hitting .471.
Eckerd took control early in the first set after building a 5-3 lead. A six-point run, which included three Tampa attack errors and a kill from Jaelynn Tunley, pushed the Tritons ahead 11-3. Eckerd later extended its advantage to 16-4 and 20-6 before Hruska ended the set with a kill.
The Tritons hit .560 in the opening frame, recording 15 kills and one error. Tampa had three kills and seven errors while hitting -.154 in the set. Eckerd’s first-set performance gave the Tritons an early lead against the No. 3 Spartans.
Tampa rallies after opening-set loss
Tampa answered in the second set and held off Eckerd 25-22 to even the match. The Spartans then hit .400 in the third set and won 25-18 to take a 2-1 lead. Eckerd remained within reach throughout the second frame before Tampa pulled ahead in the match.
The Tritons again challenged Tampa in the fourth set. Tampa opened a 9-4 lead, but Eckerd erased the deficit and took its first lead at 14-13. Back-to-back kills from Natalie Aniol helped Eckerd build an 18-15 advantage before Tampa tied the set at 20-20.
Hruska answered with a kill to put Eckerd back in front, then added another for a 22-21 lead. Tampa scored the final four points to secure the 25-22 win and complete the four-set victory. The Spartans left McArthur Center with the match after Eckerd had led for portions of the fourth set.
Hruska leads Eckerd attack
Hruska finished with 18 kills, a .471 hitting percentage and seven digs. Grace Dumont added nine kills on a .538 hitting percentage, along with 29 assists, six digs and one ace. Tunley recorded eight kills and nine digs.
Aniol contributed seven kills and three blocks, while Sydney Williams led Eckerd with 12 digs and added two aces. Eckerd outhit Tampa .280 to .180 for the match. The Tritons also held a 5-4 edge in service aces, and both teams recorded six blocks.
Next match
Eckerd was scheduled to continue Sunshine State Conference play at Saint Leo on Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. The match follows the Tritons’ four-set loss to Tampa at McArthur Center. Eckerd will look to rebound after taking the opening set against the No. 3 Spartans.
FSB Take
Eckerd’s 25-8 opening-set win showed the Tritons’ ability to generate pressure against Tampa, but the Spartans responded by winning the next three sets. Hruska’s 18 kills and .471 hitting percentage led a productive Eckerd attack, which finished with a .280 hitting percentage for the match. The quick turnaround at Saint Leo gives Eckerd its next Sunshine State Conference opportunity.
Source: Original report