Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark.?The UALR volleyball team improved their record to 14-2 overall and 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference after a 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-22) win over Louisiana-Lafayette Sunday at the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans advanced their match winning streak to five and have their best start since 1996.
“It was good to finish the weekend with a win,” said head coach Van Compton. “We played hard for the win yesterday and to win today after the five set match showed that the team has character.”
Amila Barakovic recorded her fifth double-double of the season with a team high of 12 kills and 12 digs, while Becky Mann knocked down 11 kills. Anita Bucur led the team in attack percentage with a .333 mark recording nine kills on 24 attempts and one error. Amy Hafner led the team in digs with 16.
UALR opened the first set with a kill by Barakovic before Louisiana-Lafayette (3-9, 0-2 Sun Belt) answered back with a kill by Amie Goodwin. The score tied twice, before the Trojans recorded two straight points on Katie McCutcheon service aces for the 5-3 lead.
With the score 12-10, UALR knocked down seven consecutive points including kills by Barakovic, McCutcheon, Mann, and Bucur for the 19-10 advantage. The Trojans held the Ragin' Cajuns to 17 points and scored the last three points of the set winning on a Ragin' Cajun attack error.
In set two, UL put the first point on the board with a kill by Goodwin, but the Trojans answered back with three straight points on a kill by Barakovic and two Ragin' Cajun attack errors. Louisiana-Lafayette pushed points coming within one point of the lead, but the Trojans scored as many as three straight points and won the set 25-19 on a kill by Mann.
Louisiana-Lafayette opened set three with a kill by Elizabeth Inman, before the Ragin' Cajuns tied the score on a service error. After a Trojan service error, UL scored two straight points to take the advantage.
UALR pushed points tying the score twice before taking a 7-6 lead on a kill by Lora Dickey. The Ragin' Cajuns tied the score at 12, 13, and 14, before a kill by Barakovic sparked a four-point run for the Trojans to bring the score to 18-14 in their favor.
With the Score 23-19, Louisiana-Lafayette's Lesley Mirarchi and Sonora Edwards knocked down kills to bring the Ragin' Cajuns within one point. UALR scored the next two points on kills by Mann and Dickey to win the set and match 25-22.
UALR continues volleyball action next Friday as they travel to Troy, Ala. to face Troy University. Match is set for 7 p.m.
