ThunderWolves can't measure up at Tampa Classic

TAMPA, Fla. - Facing the number-five team in the country is a daunting task, and the ThunderWolves had trouble keeping up, losing their fourth straight match with losses to ranked Tampa and Minnesota State-Mankato Saturday at the Tampa Classic.

The ThunderWolves started the day against Tampa, and found they couldn't dent the fundamentally sound Tampa team, who boasted a team attack percentage .291.  Tampa won 25-10, 25-17, and 25-15.

Though the ThunderWolves corrected their major ill of their first matches of their trip to Florida, repeated errors on service (the Pack only committed three service errors in the match), the Pack struggled to find consistency on the attack, logging a cumulative attack percentage of just .079.  Tampa also diffused one of the Pack's strengths, blocking, as the Pack put up a goose egg on the blocking statistics.

The ThunderWolves were again victimized in their final game at the Tampa Classic, losing three sets to one to Minnesota State-Mankato, as again a tenacious front line ruled the ThunderWolves.

MSU-Mankato outblocked and out-attacked the ThunderWolves, recording 12 team blocks and an attack percentage of .293.  Though the ThunderWolves managed to keep their unforced errors to a relative minimum, the Pack still ended up on the short end.

The ThunderWolves went a disappointing 0-4 on their trip to Florida this weekend, as their overall record fell to 2-6 thus far this season.