CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears returned to the Prince Center on Friday night and battled for perhaps their best win of the season as they took down Florida Gulf Coast in five sets. The win marked a sixth straight overall and a fifth straight in ASUN play.
To get a big win at home, it's imperative that you start strong, and the Sugar Bears did just that by getting an ace from Alexis McDaniel. UCA then found themselves up 12-8 and forced a timeout from the Eagles. It was a great start that had the Sugar Bears in the driver's seat. The Sugar Bears held strong and maintained a 20-17 lead into another FGCU time out. The Eagles scored three straight after their timeout, but the Sugar Bears remained unphased and scored four of the last five to seal a 25-20 first set victory.
FGCU came out swinging in the second set and led UCA 9-4 in the early going. The Sugar Bears kept chipping away until they went on a 6-0 scoring run highlighted with a Caylan Koons kill that electrified the Prince Center. FGCU kept themselves in the game and it was evident that they weren't going down without a fight. Sophomore Jamiryana Hall stepped up to the challenge as she has so many times this season, as she contributed three kills down the stretch, including a kill that sealed the set, 25-20.
Central Arkansas had a golden opportunity to close things out against one of the best teams in the ASUN in three sets. However, the small lead they had in the early stages of the third set was quickly erased. The Eagles then mounded a 17-10 lead making the third set difficult to salvage. FGCU maintained momentum and got a set back by the score of 25-14.
In the fourth set, UCA once again had a chance at closing the game out and getting an impressive win to keep their run going, but once again, FGCU had other plans. The Eagles built an 11-5 lead and then a 17-9 lead. UCA made a comeback attempt, and even cut it to 22-19, but it was too late, and Florida Gulf Coast evened up the match at two apiece by taking the fourth set by a score of 25-19.
UCA received a spark in the fifth set in the form of freshman setter Caylan Koons. Koons highlighted a 6-0 run with four service aces, including three in a row. Leading 8-2, the Sugar Bears had enough to hold on down the stretch, and Koons delivered the dagger with a kill to seal the final set, 15-9.
Jamiryana Hall had a massive game to say the least. She came up big in clutch moments and set her career high in kills with 20. Caylan Koons continues to be on fire as she contributed 36 assists, five aces, and 12 digs. Alexis McDaniel played perhaps her best game of the year, and that's saying a lot, considering she's the reigning ASUN Defensive Player of the Week. McDaniel put up 32 digs and added four aces on the night.
Central Arkansas will take on the Stetson Hatters on Sunday, October 16th at 11 a.m. at the Prince Center. You can keep up with every game this season on Twitter at @ucavball.
