CONWAY -- The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears fell to 4-3 in five-set matches on the year as they were on the wrong side of a five-set thriller against the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Saturday afternoon in the Prince Center. The Sugar Bears (6-9, 0-2 SLC) forced a final set after taking a dramatic 25-22 set four victory, but a controversial call in set five shifted the momentum in the Bearkats favor and pushed them to victory.
 
Senior Abbie Harry led the Sugar Bear offense with 20 kills while sophomores Madi Bowles and Lexi Miller added 16 and 12. The iconic setter pairing of Junior Bailey Waddington and senior Elizabeth Armstrong combined for 52 assists while junior Emily Doss added 20 digs to her season total.
 
SET ONE – The Sugar Bears struggled early as the Bearkats jumped out to an early 10-4 lead. The team in orange and white were in cruise control over the next 20 points until a Sam Houston State service error and service ace from freshman Alexis Stumbough pulled Central Arkansas within three at 19-16. The Sugar Bears continued to claw back a few points later and tied the score at 23-all after kills from Bowles and redshirt-sophomore Ravin Rhodes. Central Arkansas had two separate chances to win the set but could not capitalize as Sam Houston State stole it at 29-27 as a kill and Sugar Bear attack error finalized the opening set.
 
SET TWO – After the first 11 points went back and forth, the Sugar Bears got three straight kills from Harry and another Stumbough service ace to lead 10-6. The Bearkats crept back in after back-to-back kills drew them within one at 14-13, but Central Arkansas delivered a timely 5-0 response to lead comfortably at 19-13. Sam Houston made it a five-point game after a kill, but the Sugar Bears had one more run up their sleeves as a 4-0 spurt was enough to take it 25-18. Harry was strong offensively in the set as she led both sides with seven kills.
 
SET THREE – The Bearkats broke out of an early 4-4 set three tie with a 7-2 run to lead 11-6. The Sugar Bears fought back midway through after kills from Miller and Harry tied it at 16-all, but Sam Houston State dominated the rest of the way with a 9-1 run to take it 25-17.
 
SET FOUR – Unlike the start of set three, Central Arkansas created small separation early as two straight Bearkat errors and a Miller kill made it 9-6. Sam Houston State pulled within one after a kill made it 12-11, but the Sugar Bears replicated their earlier run with a Miller kill and two straight Bearkat errors to lead 15-11. Down 19-14, the Bearkats got three straight Sugar Bear errors to help lead them on a 4-1 spurt to pull them back at 20-18. Up one at 22-21, Central Arkansas got two huge points from Miller (kill) and Doss (service ace) to hold the strong 24-21 advantage. Sam Houston State took the next point off a kill, but Bowles advanced the match to set five after converting a kill.
 
SET FIVE – Sam Houston State grabbed the first advantage of the set after a Sugar Bear attack error and two kills led to a 3-1 lead. After the Bearkats lead advanced to 8-5, the Sugar Bears clawed back with a 4-1 run off two Bowles kills and tied it at 9-all. The set shifted dramatically at point 22 as the Bearkats took the next three points to hold a tight 14-11 lead. Central Arkansas showed heart and converted a kill after a Bearkat error to make it 14-13, but a Sam Houston State kill ended Central Arkansas' comeback.
 
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The Sugar Bears will return to the practice court for a few days before hitting the road to Texas as they will face the Incarnate Word Cardinals (4-12, 0-2 SLC) and A&M Corpus Christi Islanders (8-8, 1-2 SLC) next week. Central Arkansas will stop in San Antonio first to face the Cardinals on October 3 at 6 p.m.