Box Score MONROE, La. - The
Trojans entered the second half of Sun Belt West play knowing it controlled its
own destiny. UALR took one more step to claim an outright title on Friday (Nov.
9).
The Trojans clinched at least a share of its first Sun Belt
Conference West title in 12 years as UALR (13-12, 9-4 SBC) knocked off ULM
(5-17, 1-12) 25-15, 23-25, 25-22, 25-12 at the ULM Activity Center in Monroe,
La.
Sophomore Edina Begic led the way with a team-high 20
digs and 18 kills. Classmate Marleen de Zoete added 44 assists while
senior Sawyer Schaedig matched a career-high with 11 digs with senior Daniele Souza Moura contributed 18 digs and five blocks.
Senior Eva Xie blasted
a match-high 20 kills with only five errors on 43 swings for a .349 hitting
percentage. She also shared honors with Souza Moura by leading the team with
five blocks.
For the Warhawks, Zuzana Markova led the team in both kills
and assists with 15 and 18, respectively. With 10 digs, she notched her third
triple-double of the season. Tetiana Sukach (20 digs) led a trio of other ULM
players with double-digit bumps.
UALR used a 10-3 run to finish out the opening set to blow
open a close frame. Up 15-12, Schaedig notched her only kill of the match
followed by a pair of ULM attack errors put UALR up six. The Warhawks captured
three of the next four to pull within three before a Xie kill put UALR up five
and forced a timeout. The break in action did not slow the Trojans as a 5-point
service rally by Waytt closed the match. The home team hit into a quartet of
attack errors (two of which came on de Zoete-Souza Moura blocks) with a kill by
Begic ended the first set.
Set two saw a series of runs with ULM claiming the last one
to tie the match. UALR trailed 13-12 when Begic and sophomore Adisa Hodzic teamed up for a pair of
kills to give the visitors the lead. A pair of attack errors later, UALR led
16-13 and forced a ULM timeout. Unlike the first, the Warhawks responded with
five of the next six on UALR errors to go up 18-17. Trailing 22-21, Begic
turned in a pair of kills and gave UALR what looked like a critical break. ULM
called timeout and regrouped on a pair of kills around a Marcela Araya ace to
tie the match.
UALR held to take a 2-1 lead despite the longest serving run
by the Trojans in conference play. Down 7-3, Xie recorded a kill and put
Schaedig on serve. She served nine-straight points thanks to a trio of Xie
kills, spikes by Begic and Souza Moura with four ULM errors to open a 14-7
advantage. The Warhawks climbed within 22-21 before a pair of errors gave UALR
a critical break point and a trio of set points. ULM ended UALR's 7-for-7
streak on set points, but UALR got the side out to go up 2-1.
The fourth was all the Trojans as UALR won its first match
in less than five for the first time since Oct. 5. Begic kicked off the frame
with a kill to put herself on serve before three errors put UALR up 4-0. The
Trojans increased slowly before a Begic kill put herself on serve again. An
ace, Souza Moura kill and another ULM error put the Trojans up 19-8 and
essentially ended the match. UALR added two more breaks and put themselves on
set point at 24-12 with a Xie-Souza Moura block. An attack error by ULM on
Wyatt's serve ended the match.
Besides its first non-five set win in over a month, it was
also the first time UALR had won first and third sets since Oct. 5. Since
opening up the second half Sun Belt West play, UALR has been successful on
9-of-10 set points (90%).
UALR goes for the outright SBC West title and the second
seed in the upcoming conference tournament next week when it travels to North
Texas on Sunday (Oct. 11) at 1 p.m. Live stats and video (both free) will be
available on the UALR athletic web site.
