Women's Volleyball | 9/21/2023 11:00:00 AM

Miami Shores, FL. – After opening the 2023 season with three-straight weekends on the road, the Barry University volleyball team hosts nationally-ranked University of Tampa for the Bucs' home opener on Friday, Sept. 22 with first serve set for 7 p.m. before welcoming Florida Southern College on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

Records: Barry (3-5, 0-2 SSC), Tampa (8-0, 2-0 SSC), Florida Southern (6-2, 1-1 SSC)
All-Time Series: Tampa leads Barry 48-21, Barry leads Florida Southern 37-30
 

Game Coverage Links
Game	Date	Stats	Broadcast
Tampa	Friday, Sept. 22: 7:00 pm
Florida Southern	Saturday, Sept. 23: 4:00 pm

Barry plays its first game inside the Health & Sports Center this season after beginning Sunshine State Conference (SSC) play with a pair of 3-1 setbacks at Palm Beach Atlantic and Nova Southeastern on Friday, Sept. 15 and Saturday, Sept. 16. Reigning American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Player of the Year Diana Akopova leads the league in kills (159) and kills per set (5.13), joined in the top-10 by Varvara Osychenko who ranks fourth in kills per set (3.87) and seventh in kills (120) with Osychenko adding a SSC-leading 0.61 service aces. Thalia Iglesias ranks seventh in the SSC in assists per set behind a 7.81 rate while Ana Perez anchors the defense using 4.03 digs per set which ranks seventh in the league.
 
Ranked fourth in the latest AVCA poll, Tampa travels to Miami Shores after a 2-0 weekend with 3-0 wins over Eckerd College and Florida Southern. Tampa leads the SSC in team hitting and kills, led by Kalli Cors who averages 3.25 kills on a .333 clip which rank ninth and eighth in the conference respectively. Three Spartans average more than one block per set, propelling Tampa to the top average in the conference.
 
Hosting Barry in their season-opening Classic, Florida Southern treks to Barry after splitting a pair of 3-0 decisions with Saint Leo University and Tampa to open conference play. Mackenzie Peterman sparks the Mocs' offensively behind 3.41 kills, eighth-best average in the SSC, while Madison Fowler boasts 1.00 blocks which sits seventh.
 

TALE OF THE TAPE
STAT	Barry	Tampa	Florida Southern
Kills	387	370	361
Kills/Set	12.48	14.23	12.45
Hitting %	.221	.264	.242
Digs/Set	13.90	16.77	15.34
Assists/Set	11.71	13.08	11.83
Blocks	1.71	2.54	2.48
Service Aces	1.87	1.77	1.21

About Barry University Athletics

Barry University has sponsored NCAA Division II athletics for 39 years, winning 28 national championships in eight sports, crowning 429 All-Americans in 13 sports and over 640 scholar All-Americans. Barry is a proud member of the Sunshine State Conference "The Conference of National Champions" with 104 league titles since joining in 1989. The Buccaneers have NCAA men's teams in soccer, cross country, basketball, swimming, baseball, golf, and tennis and women's teams in soccer, cross country, volleyball, basketball, swimming, beach volleyball, golf, rowing, softball and tennis.