TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tampa volleyball team will be back in action this weekend as they will open up Sunshine State Conference play. The Spartans will enter these matchups as the 13^th ranked team in the nation.

The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (4-4) vs. Eckerd College Tritons (7-1) | University of Tampa Spartans (4-4) vs Saint Leo University Lions (6-2)

Date/Time: Friday vs. Eckerd at 7:00 p.m. | Saturday vs. Saint Leo at 4:00 p.m.  

Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center || Tampa, Fla. || 400 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606

About the Spartans: Tampa is coming into the game as the 13^th ranked team in the nation and enters the week with a 4-4 record after dropping four games at the Colorado Premier Challenge.

Katie McKiel and Sorrel Houghton lead the way for the Tampa attack, as the outside hitters have 105 and 89 kills respectively. This ranks them second and eight in the conference for total number of kills.

In the middle, Mackenzie Dufresne and Kamari Potter lead the way with 17 and 16 total blocks respectively. Dufrense is also swinging at a .306 percentage and Potter is hitting at a .278 percentage.

Senior setter Sammy Mueller is serving as the catalyst for the Spartans offensive attack, as she currently has 249 total assists, which ranks third in the conference.

Defensively, Nicole Dominguez leads the way for the Spartans, as the senior libero leads the team with 105 digs. This also puts her at eighth in the conference.

About the Tritons: On Friday, Tampa will welcome in the Eckerd College Tritons into the Bob Martinez Athletics Center. Eckerd enters the week with a record of 7-1 and currently hold a seven-game winning streak. Asya Harris leads the offense with 95 kills and Luana Rezende leads the defense with 98 digs.

About the Lions: On Saturday, the Saint Leo Lions will enter the Martinez Center. The Lions enter the week with a record of 6-2, and they will face Florida Southern Friday night before facing off with the Spartans. Ashley Quero leads the Lions attack with 90 kills and Payton Bellano leads the defense with 123 digs.

All-Time Series: Tampa leads the all-time series against the Tritons as they have a 93-2 record and have a 16 match win streak. Against Saint Leo, UT holds an 86-5 overall record and comes into the matchup with a three-game win streak.

Tickets: General Admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $5. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge. Students and faculty/staff are admitted free with a valid UT ID. 

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Front Row: Download the official app of UT Athletics on the Apple or Android store. Look for Tampa Spartans Front Row app to receive notifications from your favorite Spartan teams. The app is completely free.