Women's Volleyball | 11/17/2001 10:07:00 PM
Box Score TAMPA, Fla. -- In a heated battle, the Barry University volleyball team defeated conference rival Tampa for the second time this season for the South Regional Championship earlier tonight 3-2 and will advance on to the NCAA Elite Eight.
In game one, the Buccaneers came out on top 31-29, but the Spartans rallied back in game two to win 30-32. It appeared to be a see-saw battle throughout the match as the Buccaneers came back and won game three 30-28, then the Spartans took game four 30-27. However, the Buccaneers gained enough momentum in game five to overcome the challenging Spartans 15-10 for the victory.
Karla Bersano (So., OH, Sao Paulo, Brazil) led the Buccaneer charge with her second best performance of the 2001 season. She tallied 28 kills on 72 attempts and added 14 digs.
Simone Ferrarezi (Jr., OH, Sao Paulo, Brazil), the Bucs' late season wonder, followed up with 20 kills and a team high 19 digs while teammate
Fernanda Ferreira (So., MH, Sao Paulo, Brazil) registered 14 kills and a team high seven total blocks.
The Spartans had four players with double digit kills. Ania Ruiz paced the Spartans with a team high 27 kills, Sandi Fox tallied 24, Lisa Webster registered 15, and Tiffany Boatwright added 14.
Three Buccaneers were also honored for their performance during the tournament. Ferrarezi, Bersano, and
Daniela Lanza (So., S, Sao Paulo, Brazil) each earned All-Tournament honors.
The Buccaneers improved to 29-2 overall on the season while the Spartans ended their season falling to 27-4. It also marks the first time the Buccaneers have advanced beyond the South Regional since 1997.
As South Region Champions, the Buccaneers will await their seedings for the NCAA Elite Eight. The Elite Eight Championship will begin November 28-30 with the site to be determined at a later date.
