The No. 9 University of Tampa volleyball team gained ground in its quest for the SSC title, sweeping Barry and Bentley over the weekend.
The wins bump UT to 17-2 on the season with a 7-1 record in the conference.
UT won both matches in straight sets, starting with Barry in Miami Friday night. The Spartans knocked off the Buccaneers by scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-15.
The match started as a back-and-fourth affair, with Barry leading the first set 20-19 before UT came back to take game and build larger leads in the sets that followed.
Junior Melissa Vanderhall led UT with 14 kills and 11 digs, notching her second double-double of the season.
Junior Kaleigh Cunningham was not far behind, finishing with nine kills and a team-high of 12 digs.
Sophomore Eva Dupay, playing libero, also turned in 11 digs and a service ace.
Freshman setter Molly Krull started for the first time in a UT uniform and did not disappoint, leading the match with three service aces.
“It was a great experience,” Krull said. “I was really happy that Coach had the confidence in me to get the job done as a starter.”
Krull was also observant of the team’s efforts.
“Even though we are a young team we all have a really good work ethic,” Krull said. “We have had a really great start in my opinion.”
While the Spartans only hit .287 against Barry, well below their season average, the Buccaneers were held to a mere .120 mark in the UT victory.
After arriving home from Miami around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, UT took on Bentley at the Martinez Center that evening.
The Spartans took the sets over the Falcons by scores of 25-14, 25-14, and 25-19.
Sophomore Camille Hanks and Vanderhall each had ten kills and two blocks in the match to lead UT.
Juniors Sam Macks and Meghan Sherman helped carry the Spartans defensively, as Macks contributed three blocks while Sherman posted a team-high of eight digs.
UT improved its hitting percentage by 93 points from its previous match, hitting at a .380 clip. The Falcons, meanwhile, hit just .066 in the contest.
Vanderhall’s weekend performance earned her the SSC Player of the Week honor.
“It makes me very excited,” Vanderhall said of both individual and team performance. “It’s not just the win that creates the confidence; it’s our level of play.”
The Spartans have now won nine straight sets, having not lost since being swept by Saint Leo at home Oct. 3.
UT will be in action again Friday against West Florida at 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Martinez Sports Center. It is the first of three Spartan matches in the South Region Crossover, hosted by UT Friday and Saturday.
The Spartans hope to gain more ground in their conference title defense during the two-day event. UT has won the SSC title four years in a row.
“It’s a very important weekend for us,” UT head coach Chris Catanach said. “The loss to Saint Leo made us work harder. We need to win these matches to maintain our regional place.”
Still, the hopes of capturing the title once again remains alive, as history proves it can be done.
“Our volleyball program has always been a winning program,” Vanderhall said. “To be a part of it makes me feel really good.”
With UT hosting the tournament, Vanderhall put the weekend in perspective.
“There’s always a home court advantage,” Vanderhall said. “But home or away any given day any team can win, so may the best team win.”
Ryan can be reached at rburkett@ut.edu.