TAMPA, Fla. – Saint Leo University volleyball made the trip to Tampa for its Sunshine State Conference opener with the third-ranked Tampa Spartans on Tuesday evening. The Lions battled well against a potent Spartan team as all three sets remained tight till the end. Saint Leo falls to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in SSC play. 

Saint Leo hit .090 as a team with 32 kills and 21 errors on 122 attempts in the 3-0 loss at Tampa. Sabrina Valentin led the Lions with seven kills and added nine digs. Brielle Kallberg and Paula Perez Rosales each tallied six kills, while Kallberg hit .222 and Perez Rosales added seven digs. Alexa Gandolfo chipped in five kills, and Jala Drayton added four with two blocks. Setter Tajma Muharemovic paced the offense with 24 assists and one ace, while Mia Moser posted nine digs and two aces.

How It Happened: Tampa 3, Saint Leo 0
Set 1 | Tampa 25, Saint Leo 17
The Lions opened with 10 kills in the first set, led by Perez Rosales and Valentin, but Tampa capitalized on Saint Leo's nine attack errors to take control and close the frame 25-17.

Set 2 | Tampa 25, Saint Leo 22
Saint Leo responded in the second, hitting .200 with 12 kills. Kallberg and Gandolfo provided steady swings, and Muharemovic spread the offense effectively. The Lions kept the set close through four ties and two lead changes before Tampa pulled away in the final points for a 25-22 win.

Set 3 | Tampa 25, Saint Leo 18
The Lions stayed competitive early, with Valentin and Perez Rosales combining for key points. Moser added defensive stability in the back row. Tampa, however, used a .467 hitting percentage in the frame to pull away late and finish the sweep 25-18.

Inside the Numbers

• Team hitting percentage: Saint Leo .090, Tampa .310
• Kill leaders: Valentin 7, Kallberg 6 (.222), Perez Rosales 6, Gandolfo 5, Drayton 4
• Assists: Muharemovic 24 with 1 ace
• Defense: Moser 9 digs, Valentin 9 digs, Perez Rosales 7 digs
• Serving: 6 total aces, led by Moser with 2
• Blocks: Drayton 2 (1 solo, 1 assist), Kallberg and Gandolfo 1 each

  
UP NEXT
Saint Leo  closes out the week with its home opener against Florida Southern at 6 p.m. in the Marion Bowman Center.