CONWAY, Ark. - Central Arkansas volleyball is primed for a new chapter in program history as they rewrite the books with their first season in the Atlantic Sun. 

The Sugar Bears will revel in the challenge as they participate in the ASUN Crossover this weekend. During that three-match stint in Jacksonville, Ala., they will face three new foes that will soon be conference rivals. Starting the weekend, they will meet North Florida Friday at 3 p.m.; following that, they will battle Kennesaw St. Saturday at 3 p.m., before rounding it out with Stetson Sunday at 11 a.m. 

UCA will take the most demanding challenge as they begin the weekend with a stout North Florida squad. The Ospreys have been on a roll in the early part of the season as they have dominated mid-major schools and pulled off some big upsets along that way to an 11-1 record. Some of their most significant victories include Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, and FAU, with their lone loss coming from TCU. So far in the season, this team is the real deal, but anything can happen with no real match experience between the two squads. This will be only the second time these two teams face-off, as the first time UCA won it 3-2 back in 2012. The Sugar Bears will hope to continue that one-match win streak as they face the two award-winning leaders of the UNF squad. Outside hitter Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana for UNF claimed ASUN player of the week honors last weekend, while middle blocker Bre Walp claimed defensive player of the week honors. These two will be a force, as it will be up to both the offense and defense to counteract their strong units. Senior Lexi Miller will be a massive help from the offensive side as she leads all the Sugar Bears in both kills (84) and points (92) while also being named to two of the last three All-Tournament teams. Junior Alexis Stumbough will help both sides of the court as she is both an offensive and defensive presence. Stumbough is second in points (92) and kills (82) while also being second in digs (80).

The next match down south is the versus Kennesaw St. While the Owls have not had nearly the success of UNF, they are still a formidable team heading into the tournament-style weekend. Kennesaw is 6-5 overall this year and has a had pair of big wins against UAB and Alabama. The key to success for the Owls so far in the season lies with their defensive front that is allowing opponents only to hit .216. That comes from a pair of defensive pros as Libero Bri Becerra and outside hitter Lauren Chastang have over 100 digs on the season. To counteract their defensive presence, the Sugar Bears will need help from their freshman products. That includes Mackenzie Vernon, Allison Holloway, Lily Taylor, and the fast-rasing Jamiryana Hall. All four of these young athletes have been setting the foundation of success, and with such a young team, they will need to step up big. That has already been a focal understanding as the freshman account for 102 of the total kills amount of 347. 

The final opponent of the weekend is another that has the potential to be good in Stetson. The Hatters are 5-7 on the season and hope to return to the ASUN tournament for another year. They are powered by the hot hand of outside hitter Elena Djokovic, who leads the team in total points by a significant margin with 160 points. She will be the one to key in on, which means UCA will need a big day from their middle blockers. That includes graduate student Amari Mitchell, Holloway, and any others playing alongside the net. In this instance, Mitchell will be the main competitor as she leads the Sugar Bears will 24 total blocks this season. 

All of the fun will go down tomorrow as UCA takes on these competitors in Jacksonville, Ala. All three of the matches will be available via live stats only.

Quote from head coach John Newberry:
"Zero and zero is what we have been saying this week. We are ecstatic about starting our inaugural ASUN conference games this weekend. Our win loss record doesn't matter now. The staff has worked hard with helping our young team get caught up to the demands of playing in a very good volleyball conference. Our team is maturing. The question is, have we matured enough to make an impact within the ASUN."