MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Steve Hendricks wore a look of relief and pride on his face. Jenny Trinidad and her teammates couldn’t contain themselves.
As well it should be.
Barry University’s volleyball team swept Saint Leo, 25-22, 25-21, 26-24, Friday night in a match that moved the Buccaneers into a three-way tie for third place in the Sunshine State Conference. It also gave the NCAA South Region selection committee something to think about as the Bucs, which entered the week as the No. 10 team in region before falling out of the top 10 Wednesday, won its seventh match in the last eight.
Four of those wins have come via the sweep – and all of them fell within the region.
“This (match) was a shot to get to regionals, and we just had to play with our heart,” Trinidad said. “We got it in three, which is great. Today we played great. It was fantastic.”
Saint Leo (18-11, 7-6 Sunshine State Conference) was ranked fifth in the NCAA South Region rankings and held down third place in the league. Barry (17-9, 7-6 SSC) last qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2010. The top eight teams in each of the country's eight regions qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Automatic bids are awarded to each of the South’s three league champions, including the Gulf South Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Trinidad had 37 assists and hit .455 with five kills, nine digs and an ace, catapulting the Buccaneers to a critical end-of-the-season win.
Tashalyn Begon had 10 kills and three blocks, and senior Jayla Trombley, who began her career at New Mexico, where Hendricks was an assistant before taking the head coaching job at Barry, finished with nine kills and 11 digs. Senior Kristina Boncheva had eight kills.
“This match might have been the first match that we fired on all eight cylinders,” Barry coach Steve Hendricks said. “The kids that played did phenomenal, and we executed the game plan that we needed to.”
Tied at 22-22 in the first set, Boncheva ripped off an ace before the Lions committed two errors to give Barry a 1-0 lead in the match, following 10 ties and eight lead changes. In the second set that featured only three ties, the Bucs never surrendered the lead. Boncheva’s kill gave Barry a 17-11 lead before the Lions went on a 9-3 run to cut it to 20-17.
Trombley’s service ace pushed Barry ahead 24-19 before Saint Leo responded with two straight points on kills by Lauren Campbell and a Jillian Stolzenburg ace. But Begon banged home a kill to end the set, sending the Buccaneers into the break up, 2-0.
In the third set, with the score knotted at 21-21, Saint Leo jumped ahead on back-to-back Bucs errors to move within two points of closing out the set. But Begon slammed home a kill, Brittany Jaco had an ace and Trombley’s kill pushed Barry within a point of the sweep, up 24-23. Campbell’s kill tied it at 24-24 before Boncheva’s kill and a Lions error gave the Buccaneers a much-needed win.
Barry finished with 42 kills, while Saint Leo had 29. Jasmine Serna had 14 of the Buccaneers’ 58 kills, and Jaco had 12. The Lions outblocked the Bucs, 9-5.
Barry hosts No. 16 Florida Southern at 4 p.m. Saturday on Senior Day.
“Senior Day’s a big day,” Hendricks said, emotions of his four time with Trombley starting to set in. “I coached Jayla when she was in 14-under when I was in New Mexico. So I’ve known her and her family for a long time. She’s done a great job for Barry, and I’m so glad she transferred here.
“Kristina, having a fifth semester, coming to play volleyball after rowing, being one of the best in the world has been phenomenal. It’s a big day for them. We’re going to try to keep a good amount of the emotion out of it until afterwards, even though it’d be tough on ’em, but Florida Southern’s very, very good. If we play like we did tonight, I’ll be happy with the result. This one’s a big one for us in the region.”