Conway, Ark. –

The Central Arkansas volleyball team will take part in Central Arkansas Athletics' "Bears for a Cure" this weekend, hosting Oral Roberts in a rematch of last season's Southland Conference Tournament Championship match. The Sugar Bears took that match 3-1, securing their first ever appearance at the NCAA Tournament.

The match promises to be a good one, as it features two of the strongest teams in the SLC over the past season and a half. Central Arkansas (14-3, 6-0 SLC) has gone 21-3 in SLC matches since the beginning of last season, while the Golden Eagles (13-3, 5-1 SLC) have gone 16-8 in the same period. In addition to the SLC title-match, UCA and ORU faced off twice last season, with the home team taking each match 3-2. The match looks to be highly-contested, as the two teams rank highly in numerous statistical categories this season. They are the top ranked teams in the Southland in hitting percentage (UCA: .267; ORU: .255), opponent hitting percentage (UCA: .155; ORU: .161), and kills (ORU: 13.98/set; UCA: 13.72/set), while both teams rank in the top five in service aces.

The Central Arkansas offense is led by setter Marissa Collins, who leads the conference and ranks tenth nationally with 11.66 assists per set. Collins spreads the ball well, as the Sugar Bears have seven players averaging over a kill and a half per game. Heather Schnars leads the team and ranks seventh in the SLC with 3.32 kills per set and Jessica Nagy is close behind with 3.00 kills per set. Schnars is second in the SLC in service aces, averaging 0.48 per set. The Central Arkansas defense ranks just 11^th in the SLC with 1.52 blocks per set, but libero Shelbee Berringer makes sure those attacks don't turn into kills, ranking fourth in the SLC with 4.86 digs per set.

Oral Roberts is led offensively by Sarah Pope, who hits .307 and averages 3.65 kills per set, ranking third and fifth in the Southland, respectively. Setter Laura Taylor is fifth in the SLC with 10.25 assists per set. Defensively, the Golden Eagles features libero Bruna Silva, who leads the conference at 5.16 digs per set, and Jessica Pancratz, who is fourth in the Southland with 1.05 blocks per set.

The match is part of the University of Central Arkansas Athletic Department's "Bears for a Cure" weekend, in which the women's soccer team, volleyball team, and football team are all helping to aid in the fight against breast cancer. "Bears for a Cure" shirts will be available for purchase at tonight's women's soccer match, as well as the volleyball match on Saturday. The first 200 people into the Prince Center tomorrow will receive pink pom-poms, while the first 500 fans to enter Estes Stadium for tomorrow's football game against Nebraska-Kearney will receive a pink rally towel. There will be a $100 donation for each goal that the women's soccer team scores, as well as each field goal that the football team kicks.