CONWAY, Ark. – The University of Central Arkansas volleyball team is set to hit the road for two pivotal ASUN road matches. The Sugar Bears, who currently sit at 0-6 in the conference, are ready to take on Queens and Kennesaw State in the last leg of a long road stretch before returning home next weekend.
Sophomore setter Caylan Koons is currently first in the ASUN with 665 assists, she also sits at 26th in assists at the Division I level. Lexie Gregory is also having a great start to her senior season, sitting at ninth in the ASUN with 227 digs. Laci Bohannan has 23 kills in her last two matches, and Mackenzie Vernon has 19 kills in her last two matches.
The Queens Royals sit at 3-15 on the season and carry a 0-6 record in the ASUN so far. The Royals are coming off a loss to Kennesaw State on Tuesday, their seventh loss in a row. The Royals' wins this season have come against Stonehill College, Northern Illinois, and Duquesne. Jordyn Johnson and Alleigh Johnson lead the Royals in kills with 167 and 161 respectively. Another player to watch for is Kendall Buish, who is eighth in the ASUN in assists with 510. The Sugar Bears won the only meeting between the two teams last season in Conway, a three-set victory in November of 2022.
The Kennesaw State Owls got over .500 for the season on Tuesday with a win over Queens at home and now get set to play their second and third ASUN matches this week. The Owls sit at 9-8 overall with 2-4 in the ASUN and boast wins over Oregon State, Mississippi State, Wake Forest, and Stetson. The Owls have two players in the top 10 in the ASUN in kills, with Manu Johnsen in third at 235, and Emma Schurfranz in fifth with 205. McKinley Fergusen is another player to watch for KSU, as she has 589 assists, which is fourth in the ASUN. Shelby Dennis is third in the conference with 288 digs. Rounding out an impressive roster for KSU, the Owls have two players in the top 10 in blocks in the ASUN as Olivia Burrage and Claire Parsons with 70 and 66 blocks respectively. The Sugar Bears won the first ever matchup between the two teams in 2021, but UCA bookended its 2022 ASUN schedule with losses to the Owls.
UCA goes to Charlotte at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 13th and then close the road trip in Kennesaw, Georgia on Sunday, October 15th at 12:00 p.m. against the Owls. The match against Queens will be broadcasted in ESPN+ and the match against Kennesaw State will be on the KSU Owls Network. As always, fans can keep up with both matches on Twitter/X at @UCAVball.
