Career Highs Set as Trojans Fall in Five to Mavericks

LITTLE ROCK – In a five-set thriller, Little Rock volleyball (12-16, 8-7 Sun Belt) came up short as UT Arlington (14-15, 8-6) took the match 3-2 (16-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 13-15) on Sunday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
Even with the loss, Little Rock earned a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the fifth consecutive year as Louisiana took a loss to South Alabama earlier in the afternoon. The Trojans have now qualified for the tournament in 24 of their 26 seasons in the Sun Belt.
 
Career highs were set all across the board for the Trojans. Edina Selimovic led the match with a career-high 21 kills on a career-high 45 attacks. She added eight digs and five total blocks. Taylor Lindberg had a career-high 57 assists with four kills, three blocks and seven digs. Kelsey Leech scooped up a career-high 25 digs with an ace. Hope Larmour also tallied a career high with 17 digs and recorded one kill. Carolee Dillard earned the first double-double of her career with a season-high 16 kills and 10 total blocks while hitting a match-high .386.
 
As a team, Little Rock had season highs for attacks (194), kills (70), assists (64) and digs (86). The Trojans outblocked the Mavericks 15-11 and have put up at least 10 blocks in 10 of the last 11 matches. Little Rock has now outblocked opponents in 26 of 28 matches this season.
 
Starting the fifth set down 9-5, Little Rock went on a 6-2 run to tie the set at 11. After UTA called timeout, the Mavericks grabbed control of the set with back-to-back kills by Kaitlyn Granger and Qiana Canete. After Canete earned the Mavs set point at 14-12, a kill by Lindberg brought the Trojans back to within one. It wouldn't be enough as Canete put down a kill to end the match.
 
Little Rock led the entirety of the fourth set and got out to its largest lead at 19-12 on a kill by Veronica Marin. UT Arlington fought back to bring the deficit to one at 24-23, but a Selimovic kill sealed it for Little Rock.
 
The third set was the tightest of the afternoon as neither team had more than a three-point lead until UTA went up by four with a Kylie Jedlicka kill at 23-19. After the Mavericks allowed a point on an attack error, they finished up the frame with a kill and a block.
 
Just like the fourth set, Little Rock led the full length of the second. The Trojans jumped out to their largest lead of the set early at 9-1 and kept at least five points between themselves and the Mavericks for the rest of the frame. Little Rock hit .395 for the set — the best clip by either side for the match.
 
The Trojans began the match on a sluggish note as the Mavs took a nine-point win. UT Arlington hit .324 for the set while the Trojans hit their lowest percentage of the day at .143.
 
Marin ended the day with 11 kills and three blocks while Marina Avram put down nine kills with 10 digs and two blocks. Miona Milovanovic had eight kills and three blocks, and Sydnee Martin scooped up 15 digs.
 
Little Rock will host its final regular-season match against rival Arkansas State on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

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