CLEVELAND, Tenn.- Facing tougher competition in the Lee Invitational, the Lady Flames split a doubleheader on Friday, downing North Greenville University 3-0 and then falling to powerful Nova Southeastern University in the nightcap, 0-3. Lee will face two more challenges on Saturday when they return to action against Embry-Riddle University (Fla.) at 11:30 a.m. and then close out tourney play at 4:30 against another quality opponent in Quincy University (Ohio).
Lee 3, North Greenville 0
25-22, 25-20, 25-17
With Berra Soyler setting up Carmen Perez and Sara Palumbo up with 16 and 14 kills respectively, the Lady Flames bounced back from three straight five-set losses in the Flame Invitational to post the three-set win over the Trailblazers.
Soyler finished with a double-double, 35 assists and 13 digs. Palumbo had a .414 attack percentage, Perez .351, and the team a solid .312. Julia Davis added six kills and Payton Danley four.
Izzy Denton was the dig leader with 14. She joined Palumbo with a pair of aces. All totaled Lee had seven aces and only four service errors in the match.
North Greenville got solid play from Anna Fiddelke who had 10 kills while Nicole Santiago and Peyton Taylor had nine apiece. Allison Ball was the assist leader with 19 and Linsey Burke chipped with 15.
Nova Southeastern 3, Lee 0
25-19, 25-17. 25-16
The Sharks won their second straight contest of the day in convincing style, displaying their power at the net and hitting at a solid .415 attack percentage. Taylor Stockman led the balanced attack with 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Elizabeth Price followed closely behind with 13 slams and Kate Mikacevich finished with 12. Gabrielle Spankus set her teammates up well with 36 assists. Oliva Aniol pitched in with five kills and seven blocks.
The Lady Flames got a solid effort from Palumbo who had 12 kills and six digs. Perez followed with eight kills and six digs while Soyler connected with her teammates for 22 assists and Denton totaled eight digs.
The Sharks improved to 6-1 with the victory while the Lady Flames dropped to 6-4.
Coach Christa Fabre's thoughts:
"We knew we were going to face tough competition in this tournament and being short-handed didn't help. (The Lady Flames were playing with Sophia Lippert out for the year with a knee injury and Grace Mazzocca who missed both Friday games with the death of her grandmother).
"We will face two more quality teams on Saturday against Embry-Riddle and Quincy, but I wanted this pre-conference schedule to help our young team get ready for conference play next week."
The Lady Flames will open GSC play next Tuesday in Memphis, facing Christian Brother University.
