BOULDER, Colo. — Central Arkansas fell to the University of Denver in four sets on Friday at the CU Events Center, with scores of 24-26, 17-25, 25-19, and 11-25. Central Arkansas registered a total of 40 kills, while Denver's solid performance was highlighted by a .313 hitting percentage.
The first set began with Central Arkansas establishing an early lead, fueled by a series of Denver attack errors and key plays from
McKinzee Haas and
Nicole Sargent, bringing the score to 4-0. Central Arkansas extended their advantage to 11-3 with contributions from
Ella Chaney and
Sarah Carnathan. Despite Central Arkansas's lead, Denver mounted a significant comeback, tying the score at 24-24, eventually taking the set 26-24.
Central Arkansas gained momentum midway through the second set with a sequence of four consecutive points, initiated by a kill from
Tatelyn Brandsma, followed by contributions from Haas and a service ace by
Cameron McDaniel, leveling the score at 7-7, and briefly taking the lead at 9-7. Denver then regained control with a series of successful plays, including a critical service ace by Madison Winkler, pushing the Pioneers to a 25-17 set victory.
Central Arkansas capitalized on several Denver errors and a strong offensive push to take control in the third set. After trailing early, Central Arkansas surged ahead with a sequence of kills from
Karlyn Frazierand Carnathan, and a key service ace by
Sophie Skinner, building a 14-8 lead. Denver's attempts to regain momentum were stifled by Central Arkansas's consistent scoring, including additional service aces from McDaniel and Haas. Despite Denver's brief rallies, Central Arkansas maintained its advantage, closing the set with two consecutive kills by Haas to secure the set 25-19.
Central Arkansas faced a challenging fourth set against Denver. Despite a strong start with a kill by Haas to tie at 1-1, Denver took control.
Annie Hopkins and Chaney contributed kills that helped Central Arkansas close the gap to 8-4, but Denver maintained its momentum with a series of attacks, pushing the score to 13-7. Central Arkansas called a timeout at 11-7, attempting to disrupt Denver's rhythm. Frazier and Carnathan managed to score crucial kills, narrowing the deficit momentarily. However, Denver capitalized on Central Arkansas's errors to secure a commanding lead. Denver took the set 25-11 to win the match.
Haas led Central Arkansas with 12 kills, four total blocks, and contributed one ace, finishing with 15.5 total points. Frazier added seven kills and two total blocks, tallying 10.5 points. Carnathan collected 10 kills and served one ace, tallying 11.5 points. Brandsma facilitated the offense with 19 assists while also recording two kills.
Looking ahead, Central Arkansas is set to face Colorado on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. CT in Boulder, Colorado. That match will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available online.
