Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Both teams came from behind for close set wins, but UALR (20-9, 12-5 Sun Belt Conference) fell behind in the fifth and could not recover as Texas State (21-11, 11-6) claimed the 18-25, 25-21, 24-26, 26-24, 15-12 win Friday night (Nov. 15) in the final home match of the season.
The Trojans trailed 7-5 in the fifth when a kill from sophomore Sonja Milanovic placed junior Allison Wyatt on serve. In what was a fitting final service rally in the Jack Stephens Center, Wyatt mixed up her serves and another Milanovic kill and Texas State error gave UALR the lead. Both teams sided out before two kills by Texas State's Amari Deardorff gave the visitors an 11-9 advantage, a lead it would not relinquish. Texas State won the final frame by three and took the match 3-2.
Milanovic paced UALR with the double-double of 27 kills and 13 digs. Also playing her final match in Little Rock in her career, junior Marleen de Zoete added her third double-double of the season – the 14th in the career of the UALR all-time assists leader.
Freshman Kelsey Leech added a match-best 18 digs while UALR junior Edina Begic contributed 22 kills. Deardorff led the Bobcats with 18 kills.
The fourth set came down to the wire as TSU forced the sudden-death frame. With UALR up two sets to one but down 22-19, Milanovic put herself on serve with a solo block. Another block by de Zoete and junior Adisa Hodzic, followed by a Begic kill, knotted the set at 22. Texas State added another kill to retake the lead, but the Trojans answered back with a Begic kill and a redshirt freshman Carolee Dillard kill off an overpass. Texas State took the final three points to take the set 26-24 to continue the match.
Set three saw an equally exciting set that broke UALR. The Trojans trailed 24-22 and recorded the final four points. Two TSU errors tied the set and a Begic slam put UALR on set point. On the next serve by de Zoete, the Trojans forced Texas State to attack from the right side, where Dillard and Begic blocked the Bobcats to end the set 26-24.
UALR took the opening set on the back of Milanovic's serve. Down 13-12, Milanovic put herself on serve and a pair of Trojan blocks forced a Texas State timeout. Two aces around a Begic-Hodzic assisted block put UALR up 18-12. The Trojans took the first set by seven.
Texas State took the second set by four to send the match to intermission tied at a set apiece.
UALR returns to action Sunday (Nov. 17) when it travels to Lafayette, La., to battle Louisiana. Match time is set for noon.
