SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo volleyball team welcomed in undefeated Nova Southeastern Saturday afternoon and the Sharks came away with a closer than the score indicates 3-0 victory. The Lions fell in both the first and third sets by the closest of margins at 25-23 while the Sharks cruised in the second set, 25-14. Senior Brooke Turner led the Lions with 10 kills while also digging up six balls to finish second on the squad.
 
The loss drops the Lions record to 4-8 on the year including 0-4 in Sunshine State Conference play while the Sharks improved to a perfect 11-0 and 4-0 in league action.
 
Joining Turner for the Lions attack were a trio of hitters who finished with five kills including junior Elizabeth Sandoval, sophomore Madelyn Eden and sophomore Margaret Schirm. Schirm once again led the Lions at the net on defense with a match-high five blocks including one solo stop. Eden added two blocks on defense while Sandoval had one.
 
Senior libero Payton Bellano was all over the floor finishing with a match-best 23 digs in just three sets, averaging 7.7 digs per set. Junior Skylar Singleton dished out 25 assists from her setter position while also digging up five balls and posting a pair of blocks.
 
Nova Southeastern was paced by Alex Psoma who had a match-high 14 kills while four others finished with seven or more kills in the match. The Sharks out-hit the Lions .212 to .137 while both teams finished with eight blocks.
 
The Lions held leads in all three sets. Saint Leo jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the opening set and led all the way until the 14-14 mark. Both teams went back-and-forth trading points until NSU went on a 3-0 run with the set tied 21-21. Down 24-21, the Lions rattled off back-to-back points before a NSU kill ended the set 25-23.
 
Despite the lopsided score in the second set, the Lions held a 7-2 lead early. The Sharks went on to outscore the Lions 23-7 over the final 30 points to take a 25-17 victory. The Lions once again led early in the third set including leading 14-10 midway through the period. The Lions would hold the lead all the way to 23-22 before a 3-0 run by the Sharks ended the match at 25-23.
 
The Lions will now face a tough five-match road swing beginning with a contest at Barry on Friday, Oct. 1. The Lions and Buccaneers will take to the court at 7 p.m. in Miami Shores.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo volleyball program, 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.