MONROE, La. - The University of Central Arkansas broke through to grab a couple of firsts as they played their second to last game in the fall season. 

The Sugar Bears dominated in three sets as they finally got in the win column for the fall schedule. This victory meant something extra special as head coach John Newberry experienced his first taste of winning as a head coach at the collegiate level. Leading the charge for the victory was sophomore Alexis Stumbough, who led the squad with 13 kills and accounted for seven digs. From the defensive side of things, senior Emily Doss provided 18 digs, which helped propel the Sugar Bears to victory. 

Set 1:
The first set started strong for UCA as they quickly jumped towards a 3-0 lead. However, ULM wasn't about to back down, as soon after they tied it up with their own 3-0 trend. This factor would be evident throughout the first set as neither side gained an inch until its final segments. With the set knotted at 21 apiece, redshirt senior Amanda Beaton propelled the Sugar Bears to the 25-23 victory after two kills in the final five points made the difference.  

Set 2:
In a similar fashion to the first, the matchup saw tons of ties and small leads. The set's largest lead came when it mattered most as senior Amari Mitchell got the kill to give the Sugar Bears a 20-15 lead late in the second. The late advantage proved too much for the Warhawks as junior Madi Bowles finished the second set off with a kill making the score 25-21.

Set 3:
The Sugar Bears guided the momentum they hosted from the first two sets and ensured that the third was their last set. UCA got off to a commanding lead and continued to push till the score read 19-11.  The Warhawks hosted a small rally, but the kills leader, Stumbough, made sure it was over with one final kill in the match. 

Up Next:
The Sugar Bears are headed home for the fall season's final matchup as they host ULM at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the Farris Center. 

Quote from head coach John Newberry:

"I'm really proud of this team, it's difficult to have a lot of time between games and jump right back into new competition and win. Winning on the road in 3 feels great. ULM had a very heavy attack and aggressive servers. I felt like we were able to lock in and control the game more consistently."

"As a first-time head coach, it feels great to get that first win. There's no way we would have won without the staff. They're great at what they do, and it's a reflection of Lexi and Marissa."