CONWAY, Ark. – The University of Central Arkansas volleyball team is preparing to head on the road for the final two matches of the season this weekend. The Sugar Bears will face Lipscomb and Austin Peay in a pair or rematches of losses in the ASUN home opener this season for UCA.
The Sugar Bears, who sit at 8-18 and 2-12 in conference play, are fresh off of a three-set win over Bellarmine on Senior Day. This past weekend, Caylan Koons put up 68 total assists to go along with 20 digs and three service aces. Lexie Gregory rose to the occasion on senior day, finishing with six service aces on a day where UCA finished with 14 aces in the three-set win. Laci Bohannan kept up her impressive run with 13 kills on Friday and 11 kills on Sunday to bring her total in conference to 168 kills.
The Lipscomb Bisons sit at 17-7 overall with a 12-2 conference record and are in second place in the ASUN as things currently sit. The only two losses in conference for the Bisons have come at the hands of the top team in the conference in Florida Gulf Coast and on the road against Eastern Kentucky. Since the loss to the Colonels, the Bisons have won two in a row over Jacksonville and Austin Peay.
The Bisons have several players to keep an eye on, staring with sophomore setter Sophia Hudepohl, who leads the ASUN in assists with 991 and assists per set with 10.32. Jada DaVita, a sophomore outside hitter, is ninth in the ASUN with 2.86 kills per set, but its Meg Mersman who leads Lipscomb in kills with 267. UCA dropped the earlier matchup with Lipscomb earlier this season, dropping UCA's record against the Bisons to 1-5, losing all five since joining the ASUN Conference.
The Austin Peay Governors come in at 7-17 overall and 3-13 in ASUN play. Since beating the Sugar Bears in the second game of their conference schedule, the Governors have lost 10 of 12 matches, with wins against Queens and Jacksonville.
Mikayla Powell is one of the leaders offensively for APSU, and is in second place in the ASUN with 3.60 kills per set and 331 kills overall. Setting up Powell is Kelsey Mead, who is eighth in the ASUN with 7.39 assists per set, with 772 assists overall. Mead also leads the Govs in digs as well. Grad senior middle blocker Karli Graham leads the way at the net for Austin Peay with 69 blocks. UCA is now 2-1 all-time against Austin Peay after the loss at home earlier this season.
UCA takes on Lipscomb on Thursday, November 9th at 6:00 p.m. and then on Friday, November 10th at 4:00 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can keep up with each match on Twitter/X at @UCAVball.
