Little Rock Puts On Block Party in 3-1 Win Over Troy

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock volleyball (9-13, 5-4 Sun Belt) improved its winning streak to three matches as it earned a four-set win (25-23, 19-25, 25-19, 25-13) over Troy (6-19, 0-8) on Friday night at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
Little Rock was an absolute force at the night as the team put up 19 blocks — tied for the second-most in a match this season. Edina Selimovic tied a career high with 11 total blocks (two solo and nine assisted) as she also added nine kills and three aces. Carolee Dillard put up eight blocks of her own (one solo and seven assisted) while tallying nine kills with team-high .286 hitting percentage.
 
Veronica Marin led Little Rock with 10 kills while Taylor Lindberg recorded her third consecutive double-double with 33 assists and 14 digs. Kelsey Leech tied her career high for digs with 23.
 
Tied 4-4 to begin the fourth set, Little Rock went up 10-6 with a Marina Avram kill before a Troy timeout. Troy called its final timeout at 16-10 as one of its attacks went wide. With a 17-12 lead, Little Rock strung together six consecutive points to up its lead to 23-12 before a service error ended the run. After the error, Little Rock clinched the match with kills by Marin and Dillard.
 
Little Rock and Troy began the third set tied at 10 before Little Rock began to pull away. Little Rock took its second-largest lead of the set at 17-12 off a kill by Marin. Troy narrowed the gap to two points at 17-15 after a kill, a block and service ace. Little Rock took its largest lead at 23-17 with an ace by Miona Milovanovic. With set point at 24-19, a Troy service error handed Little Rock the set and a 2-1 lead for the match.
 
Little Rock faltered in the second frame as Troy took a six-point win. Tied at 9-9, Troy took the lead with a Little Rock attack error and never looked back. Little Rock brought Troy's lead to one at 16-15, but Troy kept up the momentum and took the set with a kill by Leah Causey.
 
The match began on a tight note as Little Rock squeaked by with a two-point win. Little Rock had built up a 15-10 lead before Troy knotted the set at 17 with a 7-2 run. The two squads remained within two points of each other until tying for the final time at 23. Little Rock took the set with a Troy attack error and a kill by Dillard despite hitting negative for the frame.
 
Milovanovic ended the match with eight kills and two blocks. Avram tallied double-digit digs for the seventh consecutive match as she scooped up 15 with six kills and six blocks. Hope Larmour earned nine digs while Sydnee Martin came up with five.
 
Little Rock's 75 digs were its most in a four-set match this season.
 
With tonight's win, Little Rock tied its longest winning streak from last season as it notched its third straight victory.
 
Little Rock will return to action against South Alabama on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., as it hosts its annual Dig Pink match at the Jack Stephens Center.
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