MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- The #18 Barry University Buccaneers women's volleyball team defeated #4 University of Tampa in five sets (26-24) (18-25) (25-21) (22-25) (15-7) on Friday evening in Sunshine State Conference (SSC) action at the Health & Sports Center. The Bucs improve to 23-3 overall, and 14-2 in SSC play. Diana Akopova set a school record with 42 kills, breaking a 27-year-old mark (39) set by Sonia Gubaidulina.
The Buccaneers honored the senior members on both squads before tonight's SSC matchup between nationally-ranked teams: Spartans Tatyana Lyons, Claudia Rivera, and Chelsea Simmons; Buccaneers Mariana Bertrán, Marija Borcic, Luana Bulara, Tyanna Butler, Mónica López, Djuly Schmorantz, and Tierney Ward.
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
Final: Barry 3, Tampa 2
Records: Barry (23-3, 14-2 SSC), Tampa (23-3, 13-3 SSC)
All-Time Series: Tampa leads, 47-20, but Barry has won four of the last eight meetings including a 2019 NCAA South Region Semifinal in Boca Raton.
SUMMARY:
- 1st set | Tampa scored the first five points of the night with four kills (two from Nathaly Perez) and an attack error. The Spartans led by as many as nine (14-5 and 15-6) with Christy Paul getting a kill to stop a 3-0 run, and an attack error followed by a Diana Akopova kill putting the Buccaneers in double figures. Marina Azevedo tied the game at 22-22 with her cross court kill, but Tampa took the next two points for two chances at set point. Barry won the final four points of the set to complete the comeback with Akopova providing three kills. | Barry 26, Tampa 24
- 2nd set | A service ace from Mónica López pulled Barry within one, 11-10, and later Akopova had a kill from the middle to get back to a two-point deficit (19-17), but Tampa won six of the final seven points of the set with Perez totaling three kills in the run. | Barry 18, Tampa 25
- 3rd set | Barry enjoyed five different 3-0 runs in the middle set, the last one started by Mariana Bertrán that gave the Buccaneers an 18-13 lead. Marija Borcic's quick attack led to Barry's 24th point before both sides exhanged service errors and the Buccaneers pulled ahead in sets won. | Barry 25, Tampa 21
- 3rd set | The Bucs took the first two points before a 7-0 run for the Spartans started with a Kalli Cors' kill and included two service aces from Cors. Jeyhen Thomas and Djuly Schmorantz had back-to-back kills that slowed Tampa down. A Borcic ace and an Akopova kill knotted the score at 20-20 before four sideouts had it tied again at 22-22. Cors had a kill to put the serve in her hands and she aced the Bucs for set point won by a Perez kill. | Barry 22, Tampa 25
- 3rd set | After a Barry service error opened the final set, the Buccaneers won the next nine points. Akopova had five kills during the 9-0 run and Luana Bulara had a service ace. Akopova's kill for a 10-2 set advantage set the new mark for kills in a match, her 40th on the night. The sophomore outside hitter took most of her swings from the middle down the stretch as Schmorantz' kill from the outside set up match point for the Buccaneers. | Barry 15, Tampa 7
NOTEWORTHY:
- Akopova also set a new mark for points in a match (43), besting Camilla Pagnan who had 42.5 vs Northern Michigan (8/25/2007).
- Barry had 79 digs while Tampa had 78 digs.
- The Buccaneers had a .299 hitting percentage and the Spartans swung just below that at a .259 clip.
- Kills - Diana Akopova (42), Djuly Schmorantz (10), Christy Paul (9)
- Aces - Marija Borcic (2), Mónica López (2), Luana Bulara (1)
- Blocks - Christy Paul (2), Jeyhlen Thomas (2), Diana Akopova (1)
- Assists - Marija Borcic (64), Luana Bulara (4), Mónica López (3)
- Digs - Djuly Schmorantz (19), Luana Bulara (19), Mónica López (16)
ON THE HORIZON:
Barry hosts Eckerd College on Saturday afternoon in the final home regular season match for the Buccaneers (4:00 p.m.).
