VERMILLION, SD – Central Arkansas volleyball finished out their final leg of the South Dakota Classic as they dropped the last match in the tournament to Milwaukee in three sets.

The Sugar Bears got their bumps in as they faced a stout Panthers squad that posted a .449 hitting percentage for the match. UCA could not get anything going as Milwaukee had their number and showcased why they are better than their 4-5 record. While the Sugar Bears may have lost, they still posted a few individuals that performed solidly throughout the contest. Freshman Mackenzie Vernon was one of the main contributors as she led the team in kills with five and added two total blocks to her day. Graduate Amari Mitchell also helped on the blocking and kill side as she posted one block and four kills on a .571 hitting percentage. Sophomore Macy Blackburn helped in the action as she posted one block and five kills on the day.
 
Set 1:
The first set was all Milwaukee as they hosted a substantial .542 hitting percentage compared to UCA's .107. While the Sugar Bears took an early 2-1 lead, that was all for UCA as the Panthers took over after that point. That eventually led to a strong outing from Milwaukee as they won the set 25-11.
 
Set 2:
The second set was a familiar vibe to the first but hosted a small comeback in the latter half of the set. The Sugar Bears jumped off to an early lead but could not hold it as the Panthers once again found their groove. Milwaukee once again hit over .500 for the set and produced almost no errors in their attacking formations. When the Panthers hit their 19th point, the Sugar Bears hosted a small surge as junior Anna Williams put together a service ace, and junior Alexis Stumbough followed two points later with her own ace. Those two points gave UCA the confidence to make a small run, but it was Milwaukee that had the last laugh as they finished the set with a 25-15 victory.
 
Set 3:
UCA decided to flip the Panthers' luck in the third set to begin the set as they got off to an early 8-5 lead. This lead was brought on by three straight points that included two service aces from sophomore Anna Myers. That run only lasted so long as Milwaukee got back on track and decided to claim the lead once again as they rallied to take it 12-8. That lead stood for the remainder of the match as the Panthers went on another big run to solidify their 25-12 set victory and their overall match win.
 
Up next, the Sugar Bears will head to Cape Girardeau, Mo. as they participate in Southeast Missouri State's tournament, the Redhawks' Invitational.  That tournament will begin Sep. 17 as UCA will take on Southern Illinois at 1 p.m.