Trojans Start Road Trip With Four-Set Loss at UTA

ARLINGTON, Texas – After winning a close first set, Little Rock volleyball (6-12, 2-3 Sun Belt) fell 3-1 (27-25, 11-25, 23-25, 12-25) to Sun Belt West Division foe UT Arlington (10-10, 3-2) at College Park Center on Friday night.
 
Marina Avram recorded her second double-double of the season as she led Little Rock with 11 kills while also scooping up 11 digs. Edina Selimovic put down 10 kills and a match-high eight total blocks. Carolee Dillard earned nine kills with five total blocks (one solo and four assisted). Taylor Lindberg had 31 assists and four blocks for the Trojans, and Sydnee Martin scooped up a team-high 15 digs.
 
The first set of the night went down to the wire as the frame went into extra points after a couple of questionable calls at the end of the set. With match point at 26-25 after a Dillard kill, the Trojans finally took the set on a Miona Milovanovic kill.
 
After a hard-fought win in the first set, errors piled up for the Trojans in the second frame. The Mavericks took advantage and seized the set with a 14-point win to tie the match at 1-1.
 
Little Rock gave UT Arlington a good run in the third set, but things ultimately went the Mavs' way. After being down by four at 17-13, the Trojans tied the set at 21 with a Lindberg kill before taking their first lead of the frame at 22-21 on a UTA attack error. With Little Rock up 23-21, UT Arlington rallied with four consecutive points to take the set and a 2-1 lead for the match.
 
Except for a brief Little Rock lead at 1-0, UT Arlington completely controlled the fourth frame as it got out to its largest lead at 23-10. Up 23-12, the Mavericks put the match away with a kill and a block.
 
Kelsey Leech earned 11 digs for the match while Milovanovic ended the night with five kills and two blocks. Veronica Marin had four blocks to go along with two kills.
 
Selimovic's eight blocks for the match moved her to fifth all-time at Little Rock with 358. Dillard's five blocks moved her to 522 for her career – 43 shy of setting a new program record.
 
The Trojans once again won the block battle with 12 total as the Mavericks put up 11.5. The Trojans have put up more blocks than their opponents in 17 of 18 matches this season.
 
Little Rock returns to action on Saturday as it travels down I-35 to face Texas State in San Marcos at 6:30 p.m.