CONWAY, Ark. – Central Arkansas finished off Little Rock on Tuesday night, which was a huge step in clinching the Governor's I-40 showdown. The Sugar Bears now shift their focus back to ASUN play, as they host Eastern Kentucky and Bellarmine this weekend. Up first for the weekend, Central Arkansas will play EKU on Friday at 6 p.m., followed by the Bellarmine match on Sunday at noon.
The Sugar Bears (8-7, 0-2 ASUN) had an impressive performance at Little Rock this week, which saw the reemergence of Alexis Stumbough. Coming into this season, Stumbough was the Sugar Bears' most experienced player, but had struggled to find playing time recently. Now, she's taken advantage of this chance and tallied 19 kills Tuesday night, which tied her season-high from a game all the way back in August. Caylan Koons quietly put together the best stat line of her career on Tuesday night, setting her new career-high in assists with 51.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels come into Conway with a 1-1 record in ASUN play, dropping a game to Lipscomb and then beating Austin Peay in three sets. Coached by Johnna Bazzini, the Colonels are out to a 10-6 start overall, and will be rolling into the Prince Center fresh off of a win against Marshall on Tuesday.
The Colonels are an experienced squad and get a majority of their production from upperclassmen. Chief among them is junior outside hitter Molly Michalak, who leads the Colonels with 167 kills on the season. Junior outside hitter Sarah Mitchell isn't far behind Michalak, with 157 kills and 13 aces. The Colonels offense runs primarily through two players, firstly, Chloe Mason, who has 315 assists on the year and averages 5.34 assists per set. The Colonels have also found success in Miya Carmichael who has tallied 224 assists so far, which is good for 3.80 assists per set.
The Bellarmine Knights march into Conway with a 6-8 record, including two losses in ASUN play, losing to Austin Peay and Lipscomb. The Knights are coached by Nick Nold, who is on his maiden voyage at Bellarmine, with previous stops at Jacksonville State and Auburn.
Despite the lack of tests this season, the Knights have several players that are worth keeping an eye on. Jayme Scott, a senior from Louisville, is leading the Knights in kills so far with 232 and has added 11 aces on the year. The Knights also have two players that own a majority of their team's assists. Emily Arnold, a senior setter from Louisville, leads the team with 291 assists, and Macie Garrison, a junior from Sellersburg, Indiana, has 201 assists so far. Defensively, Bellarmine is led by Anna Lococo, who has 243 digs this season, and is averaging 4.42 digs per set.
Central Arkansas faces Eastern Kentucky this Friday, September 30th at 6 p.m. at the Prince Center. The Sugar Bears will then face Bellarmine on Sunday, October 2nd at 12 p.m. Both games will be broadcasted on ESPN+, and you can follow the Sugar Bears all season long on Twitter at @ucavball.
