NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Central Arkansas volleyball team dropped another heartbreaking five-set match to the Lipscomb Bisons. The loss dropped UCA to a 8-19 record with a 2-13 ASUN mark with one match to play.
UCA started off answering each attack early on, tying the set at six apiece. The Sugar Bears would get it to within 15-11, but it was there when the Bisons took complete control. At 17-14, Lipscomb scored eight of the final nine points of the first set to close out a dominant 25-15 win to take a 1-0 set advantage.
It could have been easy for the Sugar Bears to pack it in after getting bested in the first set, as it looked as if Lipscomb may have ran off an won in three sets if UCA did relent. However, the Sugar Bears fought like they have all season, making it a tight 15-14 deficit at the media timeout. Later, with the score tied at 20, the Sugar Bears rallied to score five of the last six points, capped off with a kill by Lilly Taylor, taking a 25-21 set victory.
The Sugar Bears continued to fight in the third, taking an 8-4 lead that forced Lipscomb to take an early timeout. UCA would go on to build a 20-15 lead, a lead that would not be overcome by the Bisons. A 3-0 late run by Lipscomb made it a 23-21 advantage for the Sugar Bears, but an Allison Holloway kill and an error by Lipscomb helped UCA clinch a 2-1 set advantage, 25-21.
While keeping it close early, the Sugar Bears would sputter a bit in the fourth set. Leading 7-5, Lipscomb ran off five in a row. UCA did its best to fend off any big runs by the Bisons, but Lipscomb went on a run of four in a row, taking a 21-12 lead, and from there, the Bisons would close it out, 25-15.
It was fitting that this match would see a fifth set, the same as the match between the two earlier in Conway. In a shortened match, an unanswered scoring run can be the difference between a stunning upset, and another heartbreaking loss. The latter was sealed by a 3-0 run by the Bisons to make it 7-4. The Bisons would have two more 3-0 runs to finish off the Sugar Bears, 15-10.
The Sugar Bears had three players with double digit kills, Laci Bohannan with 22 and Taylor and Mackenzie Vernon with 10. Caylan Koons had another great performance with 47 assists, three digs and two kills. Alexis McDaniel led the team in digs with 18.
UCA will play its final match of the season on Friday, November 10th at 4:00 p.m. against the Austin Peay Governors. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can keep up with the match on Twitter/X at @UCAVball.
