CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas volleyball team made quick work of Stetson Sunday afternoon, sweeping the Hatters in just 76 minutes.
The Sugar Bears (8-8, 5-1 ASUN) jumped out early, and with the exception of a couple of hiccups, never really looked back.
Samantha Cousins led the Sugar Bears with a career-high 15 kills,
Laci Bohannan added 12 and
Greyson Button added ten.
Caylan Koons racked up 42 assists in three sets, and the Central Arkansas offense hit .396 on the day.
Central Arkansas jumped out 5-2 to open the match, which was quickly answered by Stetson. The teams traded the lead back and forth, tying at eights, nines, then 13, 14 and 18. But then, Central Arkansas hit a 7-2 run using a diversified offense that kept the Hatters from keying on any one Sugar Bear, and Bohannan slammed a kill down to end the set.
Stetson opened the second set like the Sugar Bears did the first, with a small lead that was answered immediately, and the teams were tied at 6-6 early in the frame. The Sugar Bears pushed out to a 13-9 lead, but the Hatters evened the score at 14-all. But Central Arkansas, led by Cousins' three kills down the stretch, blitzed the visitors on an 11-2 run the rest of the way. Stetson scored on one block and one service error, but otherwise, the Hatters just couldn't get the ball to touch the floor when they needed it to.
Set three was just a continuation of the run that ended the second. With the pedal already to the metal, Central Arkansas jumped out 6-1, weathered a 3-1 burst by Stetson, and kept right on rolling. Up 7-4, the Sugar Bears scored the next ten points, with Cousins laying down three kills in the run. After the Hatters had another 3-1 jump to make it 18-7, Central Arkansas took right back over, ending the match on a 7-1 run, winning the third set 25-8, the lowest score allowed in a set this season.
When it was all said and done, the Sugar Bear offense hit .396 and tallied 52 kills, while the defense allowed the Hatters just 27 kills on .144 hitting. Though the blocks weren't earning points, the Sugar Bears racked up 61 digs, five players recording nine or more in the match. Koons had herself a double-double, adding ten digs to her 42 assists.
Central Arkansas is on the road next week, heading east to face Queens and West Georgia in ASUN action.
