Conway, Ark. –

As impressive as the Central Arkansas volleyball team was on Thursday night, that was nothing compared to the way the Sugar Bears played on Saturday, defeating Stephen F. Austin in straight sets to stake a claim to the Southland Conference regular season title. The win means that Central Arkansas can finish the regular season no worse than tied for first, depending on the outcome of Sam Houston State’s match later today. The Sugar Bears and Bearkats are tied for first place.

In addition to the excitement brought by the championship, it was also a special day in Conway, as the Sugar Bears honored the career contributions of seniors Jessica Hays and Taylor Hammonds prior to the match.

The Sugar Bears (27-4, 15-3 SLC) hit .307 during the match, with Taylor Hammonds leading the way at .526 and Jessica Nagy (.333) and Jessica Hays (.318) also hitting over .300. Hays had a team-high 11 kills to go with 10 digs and three blocks. Shelbee Berringer led with 11 digs, and Hammonds had a team-high five blocks. Marrisa Collins keyed the Sugar Bear attack with 38 assists. Nagy was the final Central Arkansas player with double-digit kills, turning in 10, while Scout Brooks chipped in nine kills and nine digs.

The Lady Jacks (21-11, 11-7 SLC) hit -.066 Paige Holland (who hit .667 on three attacks) the only player to hit over .000. Jill Ivy led the way with six kills, while Holland had a team-high nine assists. Tori Bates tallied four digs, three blocks, three aces, and two kills.

The Sugar Bears return to action next weekend, when Central Arkansas plays host to the 2012 Southland Conference Tournament at the Farris Center. The first round will take place Friday with top-seeded UCA playing at 6:30 p.m.. The semifinals will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The championship match kicks off at 2 Sunday afternoon.