The second-ranked University of Tampa volleyball team (28-1, 14-1 SSC) defeated eighth-ranked Florida Southern college (29-4, 14-1 SSC) in one of the most anticipated top-ten match-ups in recent history. UT defeated the Moccasins three games to one (30-14, 30-26, 23-30, 30-16) in front of 1,145 fans inside the Martinez Center.
After splitting two matches earlier in the season, the Spartans prevailed in the final regular season contest between the two Sunshine State Conference rivals.
Katelen Dixon, Erin Clark and Danielle MacDonald led the offensive attack for UT. Dixon and Clark finished the match with 17 kills apiece. MacDonald finished with 16 kills.
UT needed a big match from Dixon, Clark and MacDonald after Stephanie Rivera went down with an injury in the first game. Rivera grabbed her knee after converting on a spike early in the match. She did not return.
Libero Margeaux Sinibaldi had a team-high 29 digs in the match. Sinibaldi thought the team played well even without one of their best players.
“It’s hard when you lose someone as talented as Stephanie,” Sinibaldi said. “But I think we showed how much depth we have as a team. We proved that we are not dependent on one player.”
Even after the loss of Rivera, the crowd seemed upbeat. Sinibaldi and setter Gabriela Saade felt the fans played a role in the outcome of the match.
“They were awesome,” Sinibaldi said. “I think the crowd really helped the team. When we traveled to Florida Southern, their fans were very enthusiastic. It’s great that we were able to get the same support.”
Saade also thought the home crowd was big for the team.
“I’m really glad that people came out and cheered for our team,” Saade said. “Everyone did a great job of marketing for the game. I saw flyers all around campus and it really helped bring people to the game.”
Ashley Martin had another strong performance for Florida Southern in the loss. Martin had 15 kills and four digs in the match. She did not receive much help though, as the Moccasins recorded 48 kills in the match and hit just .156 as a team.
Tampa is now the likely favorite to host the NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament next week. The Spartans can’t look ahead though. The team travels to Winter Park tomorrow to take on Rollins (19-12, 7-8 SSC) in their last regular season match.