LAKELAND, Fla. – In a straight-set sweep, the Saint Leo University volleyball squad extinguished Lee University, 3-0 on Saturday evening. The victory improves the Lions' record to 15-8 overall while the Flames dip to 7-15 on the season to conclude the South Region Crossover Tournament hosted by Florida Southern College.
Senior Alexa Griffith-Hardy terminated a barrage of 12 kills at a .400 attack percentage to lead the Green and Gold. Freshman Britt Sederholm followed with a nine-kill salvo as seniors Tawni Warren and Lauren Campbell swatted seven kills apiece.
Setting duo Rachel Olliff and Ashlee Hodgskin paced the Lions to a .323 team attack percentage, spinning 18 and 15 assists as Olliff also served three aces for Saint Leo.
The Lions totaled nine blocks as a team with Lauren Sheeley and Campbell each stopping four Lee attacks at the net. Senior Griffith-Hardy blocked three swings to help limit the Flames to a .130 team hitting clip.
Libero Yaidimar Santiago covered the back row, notching 24 digs on the match, including an astounding 13 in the third set. Outside hitter Sederholm notched 10 digs while Campbell posted eight.
Both Campbell and Santiago were named to the FSC/South Region Crossover All-Tournament Team as voted on by the participating coaches.
The Lions coasted to a 25-20 first set win. Saint Leo jumped to a 17-10 lead to force a Lee timeout. The Flames were not able to regroup as the Green and Gold totaled 14 kills at a scorching .433 clip. Griffith-Hardy swung a near-perfect 5-for-7 showing while Campbell posted three kills and two solo blocks to take the first frame.
Sederholm and Campbell led the offensive tempo in the second set, taking a 2-0 match lead behind a 25-22 tally. The Lions trailed early as the Flames jumped out to a 6-3 lead before Saint Leo rallied behind the serve of Santiago. The senior tallied an ace and led the squad to a 7-6 lead after being down by three points.
Santiago stifled Lee in the third set, producing 13 digs as the Flames were unable to find gaps. The stellar defense propelled the Lions to a 25-22 final set, taking the final match of the FSC/South Region Crossover.
Saint Leo will hit the road to begin the second round of SSC play with a pair of road contests against Florida Tech and Lynn University. The Lions will meet the Panthers, Friday with a game time scheduled for 7 p.m. with a Saturday matinee featuring the Fighting Knights at 4 p.m. Live stats will be available through www.saintleolions.com.
