Trojans Suffer Three-Set Loss to Red Wolves

JONESBORO, Ark. – Little Rock volleyball (9-15, 5-6 Sun Belt) took a three-set loss (11-25, 19-25, 20-25) to Arkansas State (18-7, 10-1) on Monday night at the Convocation Center.
 
Veronica Marin led the Trojans with nine kills. Carolee Dillard had eight kills and put up two solo blocks. Marina Avram had five kills and led the team with two aces. Hope Larmour led Little Rock with seven digs, and Taylor Lindberg had 26 assists.
 
After earning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the day, Edina Selimovic put up two blocks to become the fifth Trojan in program history with 400 career blocks. She also put down six kills for the match.
 
Little Rock saw its best effort of the night in the third set as the team hit .333 with 12 kills. The Trojans got off to a hot start with a 6-2 lead, but the Red Wolves tallied six consecutive points to take a 7-6 lead. The two remained knotted at 9-9 until Arkansas State took the lead for good at 10-9 with a kill. Little Rock kept it close though as Arkansas State's largest lead was only five points at 23-18. At 24-20, a Trojan attack error gave the Red Wolves the set and match.
 
The second set looked like a continuation of the first frame as Little Rock trailed by as much as 10 at 20-10, but the Trojans fought back and cut the lead to five at 22-17 with a 7-2 run. After Arkansas State took set point at 24-17, Little Rock took a timeout before Selimovic and Marin brought the Red Wolves' lead back down to five with two kills. A final kill by A-State's Carlisa May ended the set and gave the Red Wolves a 2-0 lead for the match heading into the intermission.
 
The match got off to a rocky start for the Trojans as the Red Wolves took a 14-point victory while leading the entire set. Marin put down a team-high four kills on 11 attempts while Lindberg tallied eight assists.
 
Little Rock will return to action at Georgia State on Friday in Atlanta.