NACOGDOCHES, Texas: The University of Central Arkansas volleyball program fell in the first portion of their road trip as they took on SFA.
The Sugar Bears made a few good runs but ultimately fell as they faced the top team in the Southland Conference, the LadyJacks. Regardless of the score, UCA had some top performances from both the offense and defense. Leading the offense was Junior Lexi Miller, as she posted a .448 hitting percentage with 15 kills. Senior Emily Doss continued to dominate on the defensive end as she produced 25 digs in the four-set match.
Set 1:
The first set was all LadyJacks as they showcased why they are the top team in the conference. SFA only produced one attacking error as they hit .444 for the set. They got off to a 19-7 lead, but that is when UCA began roaring back. The Sugar Bears increased their hitting percentage from .000 to .258 as they went on a four-point streak and followed that by alternating points with the LadyJacks. This short-lived run was not enough as SFA cleared it a short while later to win it 25-15.
Set 2:
The Sugar Bears flipped the switch to start the second as they got up to an early 9-2 before SFA took their first timeout. After that timeout, it was who's runs could last longer as SFA made a quick five-point run before the Sugar Bears followed with four of the next five. UCA continued to hold tight to their lead as they produced a .400 hitting percentage to SFA's .061. Before it was all said and done, the Sugar Bears went on one last run to end it and tie the match after the 25-13 set victory.
Set 3:
It was a close contest for once in this match as the two teams battled back and forth. However, SFA held the lead during the entire duration of the set as UCA could never conjure up enough to overcome the LadyJacks. The closest the Sugar Bears got to SFA's lead was after a short run; UCA only trailed 15-13. After that point, the LadyJacks went on a big run and eventually won the set 25-22.
Set 4:
The final set was back and forth from the beginning but fell off later in the set as errors plagued the Sugar Bears. UCA hit .000 for the set as they produced as many errors as they made kills. SFA utilized these miscues as they produced a 7-2 run near the end phase before capitalizing for a 6-2 finish to win the set 25-15 and win the match 3-1.
Up next, the Sugar Bears will continue their road trip as they head to Abilene, Texas, to face Abilene Christian at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
Quote from coach John Newberry:
"We had some incredible moments in today's game. Lexi Miller had a phenomenal game, 15 kills against a top team is a great feat to be proud of. We had a few moments where we lapsed in defense. It's tough to get things going when the game is tight and you have a solid opponent in front of you. I'm proud of the way we battled and excited to get our next match going."
