Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Freshman Kelsey Leech recorded a career-best 22 digs, but it was not enough as UALR (16-7, 8-3 Sun Belt) fell to UT Arlington (15-9, 8-3 Sun Belt) 25-21, 23-25, 25-15, 25-17 Saturday night (Oct. 26) at the Jack Stephens Center.
UT Arlington only managed a 55-54 edge in total kills, but the Mavericks used a 16-11 edge at the net for the victory.
Junior Adisa Hodzic led the Trojans with 10 kills and only two errors on 32 swings for a .250 hitting percentage. Junior Edina Begic had 19 kills while sophomore Sonja Milanovic added 16 spikes.
Leech and junior Capri Rino both reached double digit in digs with 22 and 12, respectively.
Shelby Dickson led the visitors with a double-double of 10 kills and 13 digs. Taylor Gross led the team with 16 kills while Stacey Koch had 11 spikes. Amanda Walsh had 23 assists while Cassidy Wheeler came off the bench for 20.
Charmaine Whitmore added nine blocks for UTA.
A first set of service runs went to the Mavericks. UALR held a slim 10-9 advantage before Milanovic found the court on the visitor's side to put Leech on serve. Kills by Hodzic and Begic, followed by Leech's second collegiate ace forced a UT Arlington timeout. An assisted block by Hodzic and Begic punctuated the run and UALR led 15-9.
Three kills by UT Arlington's Taylor Gross helped the Mavericks score eight unanswered and go up 17-15. At 19-17, UALR struck back on Begic's serve. An error by UTA put UALR on serve and a floater from Milanovic tied the set at 19. Another visitor error and a kill by Hodzic put the Trojans up 21-19 as the Mavericks called timeout. A kill by Gross brought UTA within one and the serve of Cassidy Wheeler rattled off five-straight as UTA took the first set 25-21.
Set two was another close frame, but UALR struck back to tie the match. With the set tied at 21, freshman Rachel Williams put UALR on serve with a kill. A solo block by Dillard and a Rino ace put the Trojans on set point. UT Arlington repelled a pair of points, but UALR called timeout and Milanovic found the court off of a Maverick touch to tie the match.
Set three saw UALR score the first two points on a Hodzic-Begic block and a Williams kill, but UT Arlington scored the next four points and never trailed the rest of the way. A Walsh kill and a Whitmore-Gross block tied the set. A Whitmore solo block and a Welsh ace put UTA up by four. The Mavericks went on to win the set 25-15.
UALR never led in the final set as UT Arlington scored the first three points and went on to take the finale, 25-17.
The Trojans return to action Wednesday (Oct. 30) when they make the short journey to Jonesboro, Ark. to take on Arkansas State. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
