MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Everything was riding Barry's way. The momentum. The confidence. The performance. The execution. Then something changed.
Barry lost its second five-set match of the season after outplaying Eckerd in the second and third sets, falling 25-23, 19-25, 15-25, 25-21, 15-11. The Bucs fell to 8-11, 1-7 in the Sunshine State Conference. Eckerd improved to 13-8, 4-4.
Barry hit .378 in the first set, .385 in the second set and .314 in the third set. But down the stretch, the Bucs couldn't capitalize when they needed to most. The Buccaneers hit .103 in the fourth set and -.143 in the decisive fifth.
Ashley Carrero had 18 kills, 16 digs and a .341 attack percentage for Barry, which fell to 1-4 in matches extended beyond three sets.
Eckerd hit .455, committing just one error in the fifth set, and the Bucs had six attack mistakes -- their most in all five sets.
Laine Cielena had 10 kills and three blocks, and Ivana Didanovic hit .300 in putting away 10 balls and coming up with five blocks. Tashalyn Begon had 11 kills and five block assists.
Jenny Trinidad continued her effectiveness in running the offense, racking up 46 assists, which matched her season-high. She also had two aces, four kills and a block assist.
Tjasa Kotnik had 15 kills, hit .357 and had four blocks for the Tritons, who hit .395 in winning the opening set. Ali McAlvany had 14 kills, and had 14 digs for Eckerd.
Barry outblocked Eckerd, 9 to 7.5. The Bucs had seven aces to Eckerd's four. But the Tritons had 62 digs to Barry's 59. Jasmine Serna had 18 digs and two aces, and Kristen Reid 11 digs and an ace.
The Bucs will host Rollins to begin the second half of SSC play Friday at 7 p.m. No. 2 Tampa visits Health & Sports Center Saturday at 4 p.m.
