Lions sweep opening match

As regular season records go, Saint Leo's volleyball team is as good as it has ever been.

But how great the team is will ultimately be judged by how it performs in the postseason, which began Thursday with the first round of the NCAA II South Region tournament at the University of Tampa.

The second-seeded Lions (29-3) didn't miss a step on Day 1, quickly dismantling No. 7 seed North Alabama 25-20, 25-18, 25-19 to set up a match Friday night against West Florida, which was not finished by press time. The winner will play either top-seeded Tampa or Eckerd tonight at 7 for the region title and a trip to the NCAA II national tournament.

Against North Alabama, Saint Leo played stellar defense, registering 12 blocks and allowing a .139 attack percentage. The Lions also hit .319, including 11 kills from Emily Calderon-Reyes and a .600 attack average from Danielle Bletso, who also chipped in five block assists in the rout.

Saint Leo had lost one match all season to South Region teams heading into Friday's match, and it had beaten every remaining team at least once.

CIBRONE, PLAYERS HONORED: Volleyball coach Sam Cibrone was named the Sunshine State Conference's Coach of the Year for the first time this week, and three of his players also earned top honors.

Setter Michelle Nogueras, middle blocker Kaitlin McKenna and Calderon-Reyes were named to the All-SSC first team, while Bletso and Bruna Rocha were placed on the second team.

Cibrone, in his fifth season, is the first Lions volleyball coach to receive the award.

AN UPSET VICTORY: The women's basketball team opened its season with an upset victory, 58-54 at Division I Stetson. The Hatters lost 22 games last season but beat Saint Leo by 12 in an exhibition a year ago.

Dominique Daniels led the Lions with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Sierra Williams had 16 points of her own. But the Lions defense propelled them to the win by forcing 22 turnovers.

The Lions began the Sleep Inn Classic on Friday at the Bowman Center, where they played Georgia Southwestern in a game that was not complete at press time. They face Puerto Rico-Bayamon tonight at 7:30.

HOME WOES: The men's basketball team lost to NAIA Warner University 80-74 in its home opener at the Bowman Center.

The Lions (1-4) were outrebounded 46-25, were 1-for-14 on 3-pointers and trailed by five or more points for the entire second half. Jordan Prais led Saint Leo with 23 points.

The Lions begin a two-game in three-day stretch today against Puerto Rican schools - UPR-Rio Piedras at 2 p.m. and UPR-Bayamon on Monday at 7:30 p.m.