TAMPA, Fla. - The top-seeded and No. 22 nationally ranked St. Thomas University Bobcats won the 2023 Sun Conference Tournament Championship for the second straight year after defeating second-seeded Southeastern by a 3-1 final score.
With the win, St. Thomas earns an automatic bid into the NAIA National Tournament and improves to 25-2 overall. The Fire drop to a 22-5 record.
STU won the first two sets, both by a 25-21 score. Southeastern roared back to take set three (25-14), hitting .353 as a team, tallying 15 kills, and forcing the Bobcats to nine hitting errors. The home team battled back in the fourth set earning an early 9-3 lead, and forcing the Fire to a timeout. Southeastern continued to chip away at the STU lead and with three kills and a couple blocks, tied the game at 14-14. A kill by
Tayla Barnes pushed St. Thomas in front by three late in the set causing SEU to take their second, and final, timeout before the Bobcats closed the match with three straight points (25-20).
St. Thomas Leaders:
Payton Bertke - 46 assists, 16 digs;
Bianca Grassi - 27 digs, three assists;
Alexandra MacAskill - 13 digs, 11 kills;
Sana Dennis - eight kills (.318), four blocks.
Southeastern Leaders:
Grace Petty - 17 kills, 20 digs;
Tatyana Lyons - 10 kills (.381);
Alexandra Postlethwaite - 42 assists, 17 digs;
Cambry Pope - 16 digs, 12 kills.
All-Tournament Team
St. Thomas
Payton Bertke, Fr., Setter - Tournament MVP
Hope Leavy-Gaskins, Sr., Outside
Bianca Grassi, Jr., Libero
Southeastern
Tatyana Lyons, Gr., Middle
Grace Petty, Jr., Outside
Keiser
Brooklynn Slater, So., Outside
Webber International
Paysee Crow, Sr., Setter/Opposite
STU will learn its fate on Monday, November 13, during the NAIA's Women's Volleyball Championship Selection Show. The show can be watched on the
NAIA Youtube Channel and will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Click here for more information on this year's SUN Tournament Championship.
ABOUT THE SUN CONFERENCE
Now entering its 34th year, The Sun Conference, a 501c3 organization, continues to be one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Under the guidance of Commissioner Dustin Wilke, the league sponsors championships in 24 NAIA sports. Learn more at thesunconference.com
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