CONWAY, Ark. - The Sugar Bears surged late but could not muster enough early on as they fell to Jacksonville State 3-0. 

Central Arkansas dropped their second to last match as they made strides but couldn't match the No. 1 team in the West. The Sugar Bears nearly posted a big comeback in the third, but JSU finished them off. Overall this match showcased a group effort of success as multiple UCA players had seven kills in the affair. That included senior Madi Bowles, who posted seven kills on a .545 hitting percentage. On the blocking end, fifth-year Amari Mitchell and sophomore Macy Blackburn did the dirty work as Mitchell had five and Blackburn had four. 

Set 1:
The Sugar Bears battled strong for most of the set and made good plays to stick with the Gamecocks. UCA even was only down 20-18, but JSU proved why they are so good as they eventually used a high-powered offense to win it 25-19.

Set 2:
The second set provided a cushion for the Gamecocks as they came out strong and stayed that way. In fact, JSU nearly hit .400 as they posted a .391 hitting percentage on 23 attempts. That mark outshined the Sugar Bears as the Gamecocks eventually won the set 25-10. 

Set 3:
The third set hosted the biggest story for UCA, as they nearly overcame an astronomical lead late. The Gamecocks were heading into the final stretch up 21-10 and confident that they would close it out quickly. That did not go to their plan as the Sugar Bears made a significant run to take the lead 25-24. Two big players in that rally were freshmen Lily Taylor and Mackenzie Vernon. Taylor posted four kills, and Vernon had back-to-back kills to make it 22-16. However, UCA could not fiend off JSU as they eventually won the set 27-25. 

Next, the Sugar Bears return to action Sunday to face North Alabama. It will be a special showcase as UCA will be honoring our seniors at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Prince Center.