ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. –The Palm Beach Atlantic volleyball team faced Sunshine State Conference foe Eckerd on Friday night.
The Sailfish could not overcome a sloppy start as they fell to the Tritons 3-1. PBA hit just .130 in the match as Eckerd (14-7, 5-5 SSC) kept the Sailfish attack out of their rhythm for most of the evening. The Tritons totaled 11 blocks in the match which is tied for the second-most this season against PBA (12-9, 4-6 SSC).
Both teams struggled to build a consistent lead in the first set. A 6-1 run in the middle of the set that included three kills from
Anna Gregerson and a kill each for
Amber Rowoldt and
Sam Wolf, gave the Sailfish a 12-9 lead. Eckerd responded with an 8-1 run that included four attacking errors from PBA which allowed the Tritons to regain a 17-13 advantage. The 'Fish tried to respond, cutting the deficit down to one, but Eckerd slammed the door by scoring six of the last eight points in the set to win the set 25-20.
The Sailfish struggles continued in the second set. PBA hit just - .071 in the set which was dominated by Eckerd who won the set 25-12.
PBA showed some signs of life in the third set. The Sailfish started the set by getting out to an early 8-6 lead. Eckerd gained a one-point advantage before the 'Fish answered with an 8-1 run, including three kills by
Caroline Swan to gain a 18-12 lead. PBA led for the rest of the set, avoiding the sweep and winning the set 25-18.
The fourth set was a hard-fought battle as PBA attempted to force a fifth set. Neither team could pull away from the other early in the set and each team exchanged leads. Midway through the set, a dig by
Lilly Turner eclipsed the 1,000-dig mark for the junior libero. The Tritons began to slowly build a four-point advantage after a 7-2 run brought the set to 21-17. PBA attempted to fight back, but fell short losing the set 25-22.
Jazz Schmidt was the bright spot for the Sailfish offense. She finished with a triple-double, including a match-high 18 kills with 17 assists and 13 digs. Wolf added 13 kills to the Sailfish cause.
Emma Pieper led PBA with 20 assists.
PBA continues its road trip tomorrow against Florida Southern. The match in Lakeland, Fla. starts at 4 p.m.
