CONWAY, Ark. – The University of Central Arkansas volleyball team will have an opportunity to do two things no other team has been able to do against UTSA, the Southland West Division leaders, in the last 11 matches this season. First, hand the Roadrunners a loss. If the Sugar Bears are successful on that front, they will also be the first team to take a single set from UTSA since Sept. 17.
UTSA, who enters Saturday’s match having won 33 consecutive sets and 11 consecutive matches last dropped a set to nationally No. 8 ranked Texas over a month ago. The Roadrunners fell in that match 3-1, but since then have had their way with the Southland Conference, amassing a perfect 11-0 league record.
“UTSA is the hottest team in the country right now,” said UCA head coach David McFatrich. “They’ve won 33 games in a row and are playing well in all phases of the game.”
UCA enters the match having won four of their last five Southland matches including a thrilling 3-2 victory over Texas A&M Corpus Christi Thursday evening at the Farris Center.
The Roadrunners and Sugar Bears have gotten together for some memorable matches since UCA began Southland play back in 2006. UTSA holds a 4-2 advantage over UCA in that period, including a 3-2 victory over the Sugar Bears in last season’s Southland Conference Championship game.
Last time the two teams met at the Prince Center, UTSA again dampened UCA’s mood with another 3-2 (27-25, 21-25, 22-25, 25-21, 16-14) victory. The Sugar Bears last defeated the Roadrunners in San Antonio in 2009 in a match that saw the teams battles it out for yet another five sets.
In six meetings between the two schools, half the matches have taken five games to decide, two matches have went to four games and just once has the match been decided in a sweep, a 3-0 Sugar Bear victory in Conway in 2007.
The Roadrunners, who are in the top-three in the conference in every major statistical category besides service aces, will be led Saturday by 6-3 sophomore outside hitter transfer from Virginia and 2010’s ACC Freshman of the Year, McKenzie Adams. This season, Adams is first in the Southland in blocks per game, averaging 1.31. She also boasts a hitting percentage of .334 while getting 2.97 kills per set. She’s accompanied by senior libero Kelsey Jewasko, who ranks second in the conference in digs at 5.46 per game. Junior setter Kelsey Schwirtlich averages 10.6 sets per game for the Roadrunners, another statistic that leads the Southland Conference.
Senior Cristin Curl, who dug up 32 Texas A&M Corpus Christi attacks Thursday night, will lead the Sugar Bears into the contest in hopes of slowing the Roadrunner attack. This season, Curl ranks sixth in the Southland with 4.57 digs per set. Thursday’s 32-dig match marked the fifth time in the senior libero’s career she has tallied 30 or more digs. Offensively, UCA has been getting major production from freshman Scout Brooks since her return from injury on Oct. 4. Since then, the Brenham, Texas native has led her team with 2.97 kills per game. The last time she played in the Prince Center on Oct. 15, Brooks had a career day with 23 kills while leading her team to a 3-1 victory over Lamar.
The Sugar Bears, who McFatrich says have shown tremendous effort this season, will take the floor at the Prince Center against the Roadrunners Saturday at 1 p.m.
“We have been scratching and clawing for every point and I’m very proud of my team because that shows effort,” McFatrich said. “What we have to add to our effort is a greater level of execution, especially against a great team like UTSA."
