Conway, Ark. –

The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears opened Southland Conference play on Thursday night, playing host to new SLC member Abilene Christian at the Prince Center. The Sugar Bears took advantage of a .407 hitting percentage and 11 aces to take down the Wildcats in straight sets.

Central Arkansas (8-3, 1-0 SLC) hit .400 in the first set to get the 25-15 victory, .303 in the second for the 25-19 win, and a stunning .536 in the final set for the 25-18 win. Jessica Nagy led the way for the Sugar Bear offense, picking up 11 kills while hitting .400. Heather Schnars added 10 kills of her own, hitting .500 and chipping in a match-high five aces. Marissa Collins dished out 40 assists while adding six digs, two kills and an ace, and Shelbee Berringer dug a match-high 11 balls on the defensive side. Jennifer Loerch led Abilene Christian (4-5, 0-1 SLC) with 10 kills, while Sarah Siemens had 19 assists and Madison Hoover added 10 digs.

Central Arkansas returns to the court tomorrow night, playing host to Louisiana Tech at 7:00 pm, before stepping back into SLC play on Saturday afternoon at 2:00, hosting Incarnate Word.