TAMPA, Fla. – After a slow start, the Saint Leo volleyball team stormed past the defending National Champions and 13^th-ranked Spartans of Tampa Saturday afternoon, 3-1. The push towards victory came from some unlikely heroes as juniors Michelle Cuervo and Brooke Turner played pivotal roles in the victory.  
 
Cuervo posted 14 kills in the victory while Turner used her serving prowess to keep the Spartans at bay while also scoring four kills. Senior Anilise Fitzi continued her stellar season as she led the way with 15 kills on 24 swings for a .458 attack percentage.
 
Redshort junior setter Anna Garrett controlled the offense dishing out 39 assists in the victory while digging up 12 balls. Sophomore libero Payton Bellano finished with a team best 13 digs while senior Fabiola Rosado added nine digs.
 
Saint Leo fell behind early dropping the first set 25-16. The second set looked to be going the same direction as the Lions trailed 22-14 late in the period. A 7-0 rally behind the serve of Fitzi put the Lions back in the set 22-21. Tampa earned its first set point at 24-23 but three-straight points from the Lions gave Saint Leo a 26-24 win.
 
The third set featured a 13-0 run behind the serve of Brooke Turner as the Lions opened a 15-5 lead over the Spartans and never looked back taking the set 25-20. The fourth and final set was a back-and-forth affair almost the entire way through until a late 3-1 run by the Lions gave them a 25-22 victory.
 
The win is the first over a ranked opponent in the Jason Skoch era at Saint Leo and first for the program since a 3-0 sweep of No. 16 Palm Beach Atlantic Nov. 2, 2018.
 
Saint Leo will return to the practice court before facing two tough opponents on the road next weekend including No. 23 Palm Beach Atlantic and No. 16 Barry.     
 
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.