WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Palm Beach Atlantic volleyball fell in the NCAA South Region Championship match on Saturday, as they took the first set against the No. 11 ranked Spartans but dropped the next three and fell 3-1 to Tampa.  The Sailfish complete their 2018 season with a 29-5 record as Tampa advances to the NCAA Championship round in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Sailfish held on to a narrow lead throughout the opening set, but Tampa went on a late run to tie the match at 24 and again at 26.  The Sailfish then got a big block from Molly Burkhardt and Jennie Anderson and a Tampa attack error gave the Sailfish the opening set.

It was Tampa who got out to the early lead in the second set and opened up a 17-13 lead later in the second.  PBA was unable to cut into the Spartan lead and dropped the second set 25-21.

It was 10-8 in the third set when the match took an unexpected turn with PBA First-Team All-Conference setter Molly Burkhardt suffering an injury that forced her to leave the match.  Tampa then went on a 10-5 run to open up a five point lead and went on to win the set 25-21.

PBA regrouped in the fourth set and gave the Spartans all they could handle but eventually dropped the set 29-27.

Ally Rohn had a huge match for the Sailfish in her last match in a Sailfish uniform.  Rohn finished with a triple-double, totaling 11 kills, 16 assists, and 27 digs for the Sailfish to lead the way on both sides of the ball.  Fellow senior Sophie Hoekstra also had a big final match, as she finished with 11 kills.

Freshman Amber Rowoldt led the team in kills, as the Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year finished with 15 kills and just three errors on the night.  Burkhardt had 28 assists and 16 digs before exiting in the third set, and Anderson added eight kills and three blocks while Maddie Span finished with seven kills and three blocks.

Ally Rohn, Molly Burkhardt, and Amber Rowoldt were all named to the 2018 South Region All-Tournament Team after the championship match Saturday evening.