DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle volleyball team saw its four-match winning streak snapped on Saturday as the Eagles fell to the visiting Tampa Spartans, 3-1 (25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 25-18). The Blue and Gold fall to 7-2, 1-1 in SSC play, while the Spartans improve to 9-1, 2-0 in conference matches.
Tampa, ranked 20th in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll, hit .315 for the match, posting attack percentages of over .300 in three of the four sets. The Eagle offense posted a .178 attack percentage, eclipsing the .300 mark just once, which came in the second set, the only frame won by ERAU.
Erika Barbour led Embry-Riddle with 15 kills while
Melanie Canfield added 14 kills and 11 digs to record her third double-double of the year.
Alyssa Rudd also notched a double-double, her fourth of the season, registering 41 assists and 11 digs while also scoring five kills.
Olivia Roa led all players with 25 digs and four service aces.
The Spartans took an early 4-1 lead in the first set and never gave it up. A 9-2 run in the middle stages of the frame helped UT extend its lead to 20-11, and Tampa would go on to take the opening set by a 25-15 score.
Set two saw eight ties and four lead changes as the two teams battled back and forth. A 4-0 Eagle run pushed ERAU in front, 10-7, but Tampa quickly tied it back up at 10 and regained the lead, 13-12. After drawing level at 13-13, 14-14, and 15-15, the Eagles finally took the lead for good on a
Sam Lanning kill that made it 16-15. That point ignited a 6-0 run that included a pair of Roa aces, growing the Eagle lead to 21-15. The Blue and Gold would go on to take the set, 25-19, evening up the match at a set apiece.
The third set was another see-saw battle, featuring five ties and three lead changes. The Eagles scored the first two points of the set and held a slim lead throughout a majority of the early stages of the frame. An Eagle service error gave UT the serve back and the Spartans followed that with four straight points to retake the lead, 13-10. ERAU got back within a point at 14-13, but Tampa never gave up the lead for the rest of the set, slowly inching out to a more comfortable lead and eventually winning the frame, 25-18.
In the fourth set, Barbour put down a kill that gave Embry-Riddle an early 5-2 lead, but the visitors quickly bounced back and went on a 9-2 run to pull in front, 11-7. The Blue and Gold fought back to within two points at three different junctures, but the Spartans always had a response to keep the home side at bay. UT closed out the match on a 7-2 run to pull away late, winning the fourth set by a 25-18 score.
The Eagles will be back in action next weekend as they host a pair of SSC opponents, beginning with a Friday (Sept. 14) contest against No. 4 Palm Beach Atlantic at 7 p.m. The following day, Saturday, Sept. 15, Embry-Riddle will host Nova Southeastern at 4 p.m.
