CLEVELAND, TN. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks Volleyball team earned a pair of victories on Friday during the Lee Invitational. NSU took the first match of the day 3-1 versus Quincy; finishing the contest with the fourth most blocks (19) in a single match in program history, while Olivia Aniol recorded 11, which is now tied for fourth in a contest. The Sharks returned to the court for their second match of the day and swept Lee 3-0, as NSU improved to 8-1 on the 2024 season with the team’s fifth sweep of the season.
Records: Nova Southeastern 8-1 | Quincy 9-1 | Lee 6-4
Scores: Nova Southeastern 3, Quincy 1 | Nova Southeastern 3, Lee 0
Location: Walker Arena | Cleveland, TN.
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- The Sharks were unable to cut the deficit to less than two points in the first set against Quincy, dropping the frame 25-16.
- Nova Southeastern and Quincy battled back-and-forth in the second set, trading points, as the score was tied at 10-10.
- Leading 14-13, Olivia Aniol sparked an 11-1 run for the Sharks to seal the set win at 25-14.
- During the set-winning rally, Nova Southeastern received contributions from Aniol, Elizabeth Price, Gabrielle Spankus, Kate Mihacevich, while also taking advantage of several errors by Quincy.
- In the third set, maintained the momentum at the close of the second set, taking an 11-4 lead over the Hawks.
- Taylor Stockman tallied four consecutive kills for the Sharks to open the run, while Aniol added a pair of blocks.
- NSU closed the set on a 5-1 run, as Aniol added another pair of blocks and added a kill to win the set 25-17.
- The Sharks continued to roll in the fourth and final set, taking a 10-2 lead over Quincy.
- Aniol continued to set the tone for the Sharks’ defensive efforts, tallying another two blocks during the run.
- Nova Southeastern closed out the victory with a 25-15 win in the fourth set.
Olivia Aniol: 11 blocks (tied for fourth most in a match in program history), six kills
Taylor Stockman: 16 kills, 10 digs, six blocks
Elizabeth Price: 14 kills, 14 digs
Head Coach Kacie Ehinger – “I’m very proud of our bounce back after a slow start. Our block made good adjustments and made their attackers uncomfortable, allowing us to increase our offensive production. Overall, a great win with a lot of high-level performances.”
Olivia Aniol, when asked what it means to continue making a mark in the Volleyball record book, as she tied the fourth most blocks in a match (11) and is inside the top-10 twice, said, “It means the world to me, especially at the level we play. My blocking has been a reflection of my dedication, so I plan to continue working hard. It motivates me as we get closer to conference matches to elevate my game even more.”
- The Sharks rallied for a 4-0 run, led by kills from Aniol and Mihacevichm taking an 8-6 lead over the Flames in the first set.
- NSU took control of the frame following a service ace by Lee. Stockman and Price combined for seven points for the Sharks during an 8-1 run that put Nova Southeastern ahead 22-16.
- Aniol and Spankus tallied the final kills of the set, giving NSU a 25-19 first set victory.
- The Sharks opened the second set on a 5-1 rally and later extended the advantage to 12-4 over the Flames.
- Both teams traded points, but NSU maintained the advantage throughout the second set.
- A block from Stockman and Landrum, in addition to another block from Aniol and Stockman, gave NSU a 25-17 secod set win and full control over the match.
- Landrum sparked a 6-1 rally for the Sharks in the third set. During the run, Price and Stockman added kills, while Mihacevich tallied two service aces.
- Nova Southeastern led throughout the frame, with the closest Lee could get being three points.
- Stockman bookended a 7-0 run for NSU, giving the Sharks a 24-14 lead.
- Nova Southeastern earned the team’s fifth sweep of the season, beating Lee 25-16 in the third set.
Taylor Stockman: 14 kills, 0.500 hitting percentage, eight blocks, three blocks
Elizabeth Price: 13 kills, 0.407 hitting percentage
Kate Mihacevich: 12 kills, 0.450 hitting percentage, three service aces
Olivia Aniol: Six blocks
Head Coach Kacie Ehinger – “Gabrielle Spankus did a great job distributing the ball and getting the hitters good one-on-one looks. To have Taylor Stockman, Elizabeth Price, and Kate Mihacevich all so efficient on the pins opened up a lot for us as we were able to score at a high rate.”
The Sharks will wrap up play at the Lee Invitational with a match against North Greenville on Saturday, September 21st, from the Walker Arena. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Volleyball, be sure to follow on Instagram at NSU_VBall and X at NSU_VB.
