Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Junior Marleen de Zoete registered her second double-double of the season while classmate Edina Begic ran her double-digit kills streak to 27 matches, but UALR (15-6, 7-2 Sun Belt) fell to Louisiana (15-8, 5-4 Sun Belt) 25-22, 20-25, 25-18, 25-16 Sunday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center.
The Trojans were outhit .238-.178 while Louisiana had 57 kills to UALR's 42. UL had 49 digs compared to the Trojans 42, but UALR was able to win the battle at the net 9-6.
The Trojans were led by de Zoete's second double-double of the season with 32 assists and a season-best 11 digs. Junior Adisa Hodzic hit .273 with 14 kills and five errors on 33 swings. Begic added 13 kills while junior Allison Wyatt also had 11 digs.
Louisiana had a trio of players with double-digit kills, led by Sara Mossakowski's 13 spikes. Lavinia Tataran added 12 kills while Tonice White hit 10. Andrea Hole led the match with 43 assists while Caitlyn Auxilien had 20 digs.
In the first set, both teams were tied at nine before a 4-1 UALR run forced a Louisiana timeout. The spurt was started on a de Zoete kill off of sophomore Sonja Milanovic's bump. Milanovic serve then tight-roped the back line for an ace. She then hit a service error, but kills from Begic and Hodzic put UALR up 13-10. Out of the timeout, the Ragin' Cajuns went on a 6-0 run and led the rest of the frame. Tataran put herself on serve with a kill and an attack error by UALR and a pair of Mossakowki spikes put UL up 14-13. Another Mossakowski kill and a de Zoete hitting error put the visitors up three.
UALR trailed 23-18 late when the Trojans put together a run. A Millanovic kill and two attack errors by Louisiana cut the deficit to two. Milanovic added the ace to pull the Trojans within one, but a service error put UL on set point. A serve by Taylor Meade was mishit by freshman Carolee Dillard and the visitors claimed set one, 25-22.
The Trojans strung three blocks together in the second set en route to knotting the match at a set apiece. Down 14-13, UALR's de Zoete went on serve thanks to a UL service error. A bad set by Louisiana and a kill by Hodzic were followed by three UALR assisted blocks to put the Trojans up 19-14. UALR won the set on another Milanovic serve that nicked the line.
The Trojans started fast in set three. After a Louisiana kill to begin the frame, Begic wrapped a pair of kills around a Hodzic spike. A Louisiana attack error put the home team up 4-1. UALR held an 11-7 advantage, but Louisiana ended the set scoring at least one point on its final five serves to claim a 25-18 win in set three.
Louisiana scored the first six points of set four and never led by less than five the rest of the match. Abby Flice started with a UL kill followed by an Auxilien ace that just stayed inside the back line. Milanovic hit an error and a White kill put the visitors up four and forced a UALR timeout. Another White kill and Auxilien ace put an exclamation point on the run. UL closed the match with a 25-16 set four win.
UALR returns to action Friday (Oct. 25) when it hosts Troy for its annual “Dig Pink” match. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
