WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic volleyball team returned home to Rubin Arena on Friday night with the hopes of upsetting No. 9-ranked Tampa.
 
The Sailfish were greeted by a raucous home crowd. PBA (5-8, 1-4 SSC) handed the Spartans (10-1, 5-0 SSC) three close sets, but were ultimately swept by the 2018 DII National Champions, 3-0. The largest deciding deficit in the match was never larger than four points.
 
Jazz Schmidt led PBA in assists with 16 along with a team-high 10 kills and seven digs. Alyse Cundiff and Mary Morgan Formby tied with seven kills each. Cundiff added eight digs to her stat line. Amber Rowoldt and Anna Gregerson tied with five kills each. Gregerson hit a team-high .375 in the match. 
 
Neither team wanted to give an inch in the first set. PBA, fueled by adrenaline, got out to a 10-5 lead, but Tampa battled back to tie the set at 14. Neither team was able to take a sizeable lead until we reached a tie at 20. The Spartans ended the set on a 5-1 run, taking it 25-21. The visitors took advantage of a setting error and attack error from the 'Fish to take the set late. The first set consisted of 13 ties and five lead changes.
 
It was Tampa who started the second set with a lead, and the Sailfish battling back from a five-point deficit to make it 22-21. Unfortunately, for the Sailfish, the Spartans ended the set strong with a 3-1 run to close out a 25-22 set win.
 
The third set mirrored the second set with PBA fighting back from an early deficit. Both teams traded points down the stretch, until a 3-0 run from the Spartans gave Tampa a 3-0 lead. It seemed as if the Spartans were going to put the set and match away, but kills from Formby and Schmidt tied the set at 23. Unforced errors were the final nail in the coffin for PBA as two attack errors allowed Tampa to take the set, 25-23 and seal the match. The final set had eight ties and two lead changes.
 
The Sailfish compete again tomorrow against Florida Southern. The match at Rubin Arena tips off at 4 p.m.