SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo University volleyball was in position for a comeback run but ran out of time Friday night as #4 University of Tampa hung on to slay the Lions in four sets at the Marion Bowman Activities Center.
 
Saint Leo (5-11, 1-7 SSC) took a set from Tampa (13-1, 6-1 SSC) for the first time since 2019, as Redshirt Senior Elizabeth Sandoval and Senior Ally-Reese Williams led the team with 11 kills apiece.  Freshman Tajma Muharemovic recorded a career-high 32 assists.
 
After Saint Leo (5-11, 1-7 SSC) scored the first point on the day, the Spartans responded with a spearing 12-3 run to go up by 10 before the Lions cut the deficit back down to 13-7.  Just as Saint Leo was making progress in the opening set, UT posted another big run, 10-3, to push its lead to its largest of the frame at 23-10.  At best, the Green & Gold exchanged points before Tampa took Set One 25-12.
 
The Lions began the second set on top of the Spartans (7-6), but UT scored five, unanswered points, en route to a 15-9 lead.  Although the Lions roared back to within a point of Tampa (19-18), the Spartans' attack was stronger, closing out the second frame with the final six points for a 25-18 win.
 
After trailing 8-5 in the third set, the Lions cruised through a 9-0 run to take a six-point lead.  The lead, however, would quickly diminish as the Red & Black pulled to within one (18-17) before the Lions stabilized a slim lead at 21-17 that ultimately led to both sides exchanging points that naturally gave the Lions a 25-21 set win.
 
The Green & Gold continued its momentum into the fourth frame with an 8-4 lead before an 8-1 run from Tampa gave the Spartans its first lead of the set at 12-9.  That did not stop Saint Leo's fight, quickly tying the frame 12-12.  The Lions got as close as 20-19 before Tampa finished the match on a 5-2 run that preserved the Spartans' 3-1 match win and sixth win in the Sunshine State Conference.
 
Lions by the Numbers
1:        Sets won
6:        Players registering kills
7:        Blocks
8:        Aces
40:      Team assists
43:      Team kills
59:      Digs
 
Saint Leo will look to bounce back Saturday as the team hosts Eckerd College, with the first serve set for 4 p.m.

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