SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo volleyball team once again went toe-to-toe with No. 9 Tampa Friday night falling 3-1 inside the Marion Bowman Activities Center. The Lions and Spartans split the opening two sets before Tampa pulled away in the third and fourth sets. Three Lions reached double-figures in the loss as sophomore Ashley Quero led the way with 12 kills.
 
The Lions fall to 16-14 on the year and 11-8 in Sunshine State Conference play. The Spartans improved to a league best 27-3 on the year and 17-2 in conference action.
 
Junior Nina Vattovaz joined Quero in double-figures as she added 11 kills and eight digs. Junior Anilise Fitzi was the final double-digit scorer with 10 kills and four blocks in the loss.
 
Freshman setter Cassandra Kamien dished out 43 assists over the four sets while digging up 11 balls and assisting on a pair of blocks. Senior libero Reggie Van Devender chipped in a team-high 16 digs while junior Fabiola Rosado added 14.
 
The Lions struggled to get past the Tampa defense most of the night and finished with a .139 hitting percentage compared to Tampa's .259 clip.
 
Saint Leo won the second set 25-21 after dropping the opening period 25-19. The Spartans went on to take the final two sets 25-19 and 25-17.
 
The Spartans were led by a trio of attackers who finished with 11 kills each including Nylah Demps, Sorrel Houghton and Katie McKiel.
 
Saint Leo will close out the regular season tomorrow night as the Lions welcome in Rollins for Senior Night at 6 pm.    
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo volleyball, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.