MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University's volleyball team will finish the first half of the Sunshine State Conference schedule this weekend when it plays at Florida Southern Friday and Tampa Saturday.

The Buccaneers (8-5, 4-4 SSC) meet the Moccasins (13-6, 7-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in Jenkins Field House. The Bucs play at Tampa (9-10, 4-4) at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Martinez Center. This weekend is a big opportunity to make a move in the league standings. Barry is tied for fourth in the conference standings.

Barry is coming off a 2-1 performance at the South Region Crossover in Hoover, Alabama last weekend. Florida Southern has won six straight, including all of their matches in October. Tampa has also won six in a row -- all of them this month.

In the Bucs' last six meetings against the Moccasins, Florida Southern has been ranked in the Top 30. The Mocs are receiving votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, and fall in at No. 35. Nicole Mattson leads the Mocs with 293 kills, and Anna Tovo has 256. Bethany Besancenez leads the SSC with 818 assists and an 11.21 assists per set average. 

Tampa has been ranked in the Top 25 in the last 15 meetings against the Buccaneers. The Spartans are not ranked this season. Barry dropped two five-set matches to the Spartans last year. Nicole Dominguez leads Tampa with 192 kills. Sorrel Houghton has 164, and Nylah Demps 163. Taylor Foster is hitting a league-leading .433.

Coming off a breakout weekend, Barry's Kishara Gordon is second in the SSC in attack percentage at .382. Kristina Filimonova ranks sixth in hitting at .331. Brittany Reynolds' 0.39 aces per set is sixth in the league. Filimonova ranks fifth in the league in blocks and blocks per set. 

NET NOTES
The Bucs are 32-38 all time against Florida Southern ... The Bucs are 16-51 all time against Tampa ... Barry is seeking its first win at Tampa since 2004 ... Setter Juliana Tirabassi is 45 assists away from 300 this season.

FRIDAY's MATCH
SATURDAY's MATCH