Trojans Overcome Deficit to Defeat Skyhawks

CONWAY, Ark. – With a one-set deficit, Little Rock volleyball rallied back to win three straight sets and defeated UT Martin 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-23) on Friday afternoon at Farris Center on the campus of Central Arkansas.
 
Veronica Marin led the Trojans (2-3) with 13 kills, a career-high nine blocks (two solo and seven assisted) and a match-high .393 hitting percentage. Mya Robinson came up one dig shy of a double-double as she put down 12 kills with nine digs and five block assists. Taylor Lindberg set the tempo for Little Rock's offense with 39 assists. Sydnee Martin led the Trojans with 15 digs.
 
Megan Fair led the Skyhawks (2-4) with a match-high 21 kills and 14 digs. Kenzie Hinshaw tallied 49 assists and Brooke Gyori scooped up 24 digs.
 
With the Trojans and Skyhawks tied at 15 in the fourth set, Little Rock stretched its lead to four at 20-16 after a block my Marin and Robinson. However, UT Martin didn't go down without a fight as it cut the deficit to one at 22-21 with three kills and two Little Rock attack errors. The Trojans took set point at 24-21 on a block by Lindberg and Daisha Gillard, but the Skyhawks fought back to bring the set within a point again at 24-23 on two more Little Rock attack errors. Little Rock finally sealed the set and match win with a wide attack by UT Martin. Little Rock outblocked UT Martin by a 7-0 margin in the final set.
 
Little Rock carried the momentum it gained in the second frame to the third set as the Trojans came away with a five-point win. After a brief tie at 7-7, Little Rock went on to lead the rest of the set with the frame's only lead change. Robinson and Gillard led the set with five kills each as Lindberg tallied 13 assists. Avram was successful with the serve as she racked up a set-high three aces.
 
After a rough first set, things began to turn around for Little Rock in the second frame. Up by three at 16-13, the Trojans increased their lead to nine with two kills, three Skyhawk errors and an ace by Marin. UT Martin was able to cut the deficit to five at 24-19, but a kill by Lindberg put the set away for Little Rock and evened the match at 1-1
 
Little Rock got off to a rocky start as UT Martin erased an eight-point deficit with a 12-2 run to take the first set. At 21-13, the Trojans were four points from taking the set until the Skyhawks put down seven kills in combination with five Little Rock errors. Marin put down six kills for the Trojans and hit a set-high .857 on seven attempts. Defensively, she had two total blocks while Martin dug up six digs.
 
The Trojans finished the match with a season-high 13 blocks while the Skyhawks put up just two.
 
Gillard finished the match with eight kills and three block assists. Marina Avram had seven kills with a match-high four aces, six digs and three block assists. Jovana Cernjanski had seven digs while Belissa Guidotti and Nedima Kamberovic each put down their first kills as Trojans.
 
Little Rock will look to finish off the UCA Invitational on a high note tomorrow at 10 a.m., against Memphis.