The University of Tampa's women's programs are in good position to make runs at the upcoming postseason.
Women's soccer and volleyball are among the top 10 teams in the latest South Region polls, and cross country holds the 10th spot in the Division II national rankings.
Friday's 3-0 shutout of Rollins kept the soccer team on pace for one of four South Region Tournament berths in a tight race. Sophomore forward Samantha Robinson of Dunedin ignited a second-half rally, breaking a scoreless tie with two goals and an assist. Robinson leads UT (7-3,3-1) with six goals and 16 points.
Laurenleigh Guagliardo started in goal for the first time this season, stepping in for Shannon Aitken (injured hand), and recorded six saves. Aitken's return is unknown. Before her injury, she was 6-3 as a starter with three shutouts.
Tampa was ranked No. 6 in last week's South Region poll. With only three games remaining, coach Bobby Johnston knows there is little margin for error.
"Our goal is to run the table," Johnston said. "... Everything will shake out in the next few weeks but I feel the team starting to jell; we're not making as many mistakes."
SCHOOL RECORD: The volleyball team took care of No. 26 Armstrong Atlantic State on Saturday in four games, extending its win streak to six matches while ending the Pirates' six-match win streak.
The Spartans did it with a record performance by libero Margeaux Sinibaldi, who set the single-match digs mark with 37, toppling a mark that stood for 18 seasons. On offense, Katelen Dixon led the way with 23 kills, raising her team-leading total to 175.
With a little less than a month remaining in the season, Tampa (14-3, 6-1) is No. 3 in the South Region poll. The team faces rematches in November with No. 1 Barry and No. 2 North Florida. Tampa lost in five games to North Florida in September and to in four games to Barry this month.
TWO IN A ROW?: The No. 10 UT cross country team defends its Sunshine State Conference title at Wickham Park in Melbourne on Saturday. The women are set to start at 8:15 in their first 6K race of the season. From here on out, every postseason event will be 6,000 meters instead of the 5,000 run during the regular season, which Tampa coach Jarrett Slaven thinks plays to his team's strengths.
"We're probably the favorites heading into the conference race," Slaven said. "(Florida) Southern has a strong team so we have to be up for the race and not take them lightly. But to this point this has been our best year by far."
Tampa's No. 1 runner, Allison Macsas, is the defending individual champion. Slaven said he would like to see her run in the low 21-minute range Saturday. She finished first at the conference meet last season in 21:58.09
