SAINT LEO, Fla. – With another strong showing from Lauren Campbell, the Saint Leo University volleyball team outdueled visiting Barry University, 3-0 on Saturday. The senior blasted 15 kills to complete the sweep and pick up a conference win.
The victory improves the Lions' record to 9-5 with a 4-2 tally in Sunshine State Conference play while the Buccaneers end their road trip with 9-6, 2-4 in SSC matchups.
Rightside hitter Alexa Griffith-Hardy smoked nine kills at a torrid .421 attack percentage to compliment the double-digit effort of Campbell. Sophomore Hope Lemon posted a six-kill salvo as the Lions defeated the Buccaneers.
Libero Yaidimar Santiago posted another stellar defensive day, notching 17 digs to lead both squads. Freshman Britt Sederholm picked up eight digs while Campbell flashed her defense with six to her credit.
The back-and-forth battle began from the first set as the Lions edged Barry 25-23 in the premier stanza. Libero Santiago nearly reached double-digit digs in the first set alone, posting nine to cover the court. Outside hitter Tawni Warren grounded a trio of kills to change the pace of the game and take the victory from Barry.
Campbell swatted a seven kill onslaught in the second frame, hitting .385 in the 25-22 win. Senior Griffith-Hardy covered the right side with four decisive kills as the Lions quickly backed the Buccaneers into a 0-2 corner.
Saint Leo completed the sweep behind the offense of Lemon and Campbell. The duo each tallied four kills while defensively the squad was led by Santiago and sophomore Jamee Townsend, who had four and five digs, respectively.
The Lions will look to continue their momentum into their next matchup, featuring tough SSC foe Florida Southern College on Tuesday, Oct. 7th. The road contest will be played in the Jenkins Fieldhouse of FSC at 7 p.m. Live stat links will be made available through www.saintleolions.com.
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