MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Barry University’s volleyball team tripped up rival Nova Southeastern in four sets Tuesday night, marking the second home win this season. It was Barry's first home match in two weeks.
The Buccaneers’ 25-14, 19-25, 25-20, 25-18 victory was also their 10th win of the season, which is one away from matching last year’s total not even halfway through the conference season. Barry improved to 10-6 overall, 3-4 in the Sunshine State Conference.
The Bucs will play at No. 22 Palm Beach Atlantic Wednesday at 7 p.m., and return home to host No. 1 Tampa 4 p.m. Saturday in the Health & Sports Center. Saturday’s match can be seen via LIVE STREAMING and on LIVE STATS.
Barry converted 12 of 14 sideout opportunities in the opening set for a runaway win. The Bucs, who lead the SSC in opponent hitting percentage, held the Sharks (8-8, 3-4) to a -.103 attack percentage in the first set.
Nova bounced back to turn the tables on the Buccaneers in the second set to even the match at a set apiece entering the intermission. But Barry pulled away late in the third set to take a one-set lead. The Bucs went ahead 20-17 in the third set on Jayla Trombley’s kill. After two NSU errors, Sydney Cook’s putaway brought the Sharks within 22-19. But Kristina Boncheva pounded two of her seven kills, and Tashalyn Begon had another as the Bucs won three of the last four points to go ahead 2-1 in the match.
Begon finished with 16 kills and 10 digs.
In the final set, Barry opened a 19-11 lead on one of Jenny Trinidad’s three service aces. Ivana Didanovic’s kill extended Barry’s lead to 22-15 before Samii Wong came in to serve the Bucs’ next point. Katie Dooley banged down one of her seven kills to move the Bucs within a point of clinching, but NSU’s Dana Holger and Katie Pyles each had kills to keep the Sharks breathing, 24-18. Trombley finished them off with a kill on an assist from Wong to wrap it up.
Trombley had eight kills and 13 digs. Didanovic finished with nine kills and two blocks. Dooley added three blocks to her seven kills, while hitting .250. Begon hit .293. Jasmine Serna finished with 26 assists, eight digs and two aces. Brittany Jaco had 19 digs and an ace.
Barry served up eight aces. Nova had four. The two teams combined to give away 23 points on service errors.
Cook had 11 kills and 17 digs for the Sharks, and Pyles finished with 24 assists.
The two teams fought through 21 ties and 11 lead changes, including nine ties and five change of hands in the third set.