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Spartans To Host Region Tourney

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By MATTHEW POSTINS, Tribune correspondent

Published: November 13, 2007

The defending national champion University of Tampa will host the NCAA Division II South Region volleyball tournament beginning Thursday at the Bob Martinez Sports Center.

The Spartans (28-2), the nation's No. 2 team, will face Peach Belt Conference champion South Carolina-Aiken (24-4) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Five of UT's Sunshine State Conference rivals also advanced to the regional tournament. Lynn (21-11) faces Eckerd (23-10) at 5 p.m. Thursday, while Saint Leo (24-13) faces No. 14 Florida Southern (24-8) at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Nova Southeastern (25-9) faces South Atlantic Conference automatic qualifier Wingate (33-1) at noon.

Thursday's winners advance to Friday's semifinals, and Friday's winners advance to Saturday's 7 p.m. championship match.

The tournament winner advances to the NCAA Elite Eight on Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at a site to be announced.

UT won 24 straight matches after losing its season opener. The Spartans' only conference loss came against then-No. 11 Florida Southern on Oct. 30. That loss dropped the Spartans from the top spot in the national poll.

UT would not see Florida Southern until the championship match, should both teams advance.

In the 2006 NCAA Division II volleyball championship, top-ranked Tampa rode the net play of Katelen Dixon and Danielle MacDonald to win its first volleyball crown with a four-game victory over North Alabama. The duo combined for 31 kills and six solo blocks to propel the Spartans to a 30-25, 27-30, 30-21, 30-17 victory after finishing as the national runner-up in 1996 and 1999. Tampa finished the season 35-1.

Also, UT senior Erin Clark earned her fifth SSC offensive player of the week honor on Monday, while fellow senior Margeaux Sinabaldi was named SSC defensive player of the week for the third time this season.

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