Trojans Test Red Wolves in Four-Set Loss

JONESBORO, Ark. – Little Rock volleyball (10-12, 6-6 Sun Belt) gave Arkansas State (21-1, 12-0) a tough test, but the Trojans ultimately took a four-set loss (23-25, 25-22, 18-25, 23-25) on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro.
 
Miona Milovanovic led the Trojans with a career-high 16 kills and hit .262 for the match. It was Milovanovic's third straight match leading Little Rock in kills. Taylor Lindberg earned her first career double-double with 41 assists and 16 digs. Priscila Almeida came up with a team-high 26 digs.
 
Including Milovanovic, four Trojans had double-digit kill totals as Edina Selimovic and Carolee Dillard tallied 11 while Marina Avram hauled in 10. Dillard hit a team-high .321 for the match.
 
The first set remained knotted up as both teams remained within two points of each other until Little Rock took a timeout as it trailed 19-16. Down 21-17, the Trojans stormed back with four straight points to tie the set at 21-21 after two kills, an A-State attack error and an ace by Almeida. At 23-23, an A-State kill and a Trojan attack error gave the Red Wolves a 1-0 lead for the match.
 
Besides a brief tie at 6-6, Little Rock controlled the entirety of the second set. The Trojans took their largest lead of the frame at 15-9 on an Avram kill, forcing an Arkansas State timeout. The Red Wolves pulled the set to within two points at 20-18, but the Trojans managed to stay out front. With set point at 24-20, A-State scored two straight points on kills by Carlisa May, but Selimovic put the set away with her seventh kill of the match. Milovanovic finished the frame with nine kills for the match. Lindberg had already recorded a double-double for the match with 21 assists and 10 digs.
 
Little Rock trailed 6-2 to begin the third frame, forcing a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Trojans scored four straight points to tie the set at 6-6. Tied 7-7, Little Rock took its first lead of the frame with an A-State attack error. Tied 10-10, the Red Wolves went on a 4-1 run to force a Trojan timeout. Little Rock came within three points at 16-13, but Arkansas State led for the remainder of the frame to take a 25-18 win and take a 2-1 lead for the match.
 
Arkansas State started the fourth frame with a 14-7 lead on a hot start. Down 18-11, Little Rock made a set of it by storming back to tie the frame at 23-23 with a 12-5 run. After Lindberg's ace to tie the set, A-State got two kills from Drew Jones to win the set and match.
 
In addition to eight digs, Selimovic led the Trojans with two total blocks (one solo and one assisted).
 
Lindberg and Sydnee Martin earned two service aces. Martin also came in with six digs and a rare kill. Kelsey Leech scooped up seven digs while Avram tallied six. Veronica Marin had three digs in addition to two kills.
 
Little Rock returns to action at home against Georgia Southern on Saturday night at 6:30 in the Jack Stephens Center.