TAVARES, Fla. – The Saint Leo beach volleyball team dropped a pair of matches Saturday but finished second in their pool and advanced to the Gold Bracket play Sunday. The Lions fell 3-1 to Spring Hill College before dropping a 5-0 decision to top-seed Tampa.
 
The Lions advance to the Gold Bracket along with top seed Tampa, No. 2 seed Spring Hill, No. 3 seed Palm Beach Atlantic, No. 4 seed Texas A&M-Kingsville and No. 5 seed Colorado Mesa. The Lions round out the top bracket as the No. 6 seed.
 
The Green and Gold opened Saturday with a tough 3-1 loss to Spring Hill. The Lions lone victory came at No. 1 as senior Nina Vattovaz and junior Arlaina Stephenson took down the top duo form Spring Hill 21-17, 21-14. The win for Stephenson was her 13^th win of the season making her the single-season wins leader in Saint Leo program history surpassing Vattovaz and senior Amber Lake who each won 12 matches in 2019.
 
The Tampa match was much closer than the score indicated. The Lions fell 26-24, 21-15 at No. 1, 21-18-22-20 at No. 4 and 21-19, 21-14 at No. 2.
 
The Lions will now turn their attention to No. 3 seed Palm Beach Atlantic, who the Lions faced earlier this season and fell 3-2. The winner of the PBA/SLU match, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday, will face No. 2 seed Spring Hill in the semifinals at 11 a.m.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on Saint Leo beach 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.
 
Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, holding competitions without fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.