Trojans' Home Debut Ends With 3-2 Loss to App State

LITTLE ROCK – In its home opener, Little Rock volleyball took a heartbreaking 3-2 loss (25-13, 17-25, 25-21, 22-25, 13-15) to Appalachian State on Friday night at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
Mya Robinson, Maritza Mesa, and Marina Avram each tallied a double-double for the Trojans (4-9, 0-1 Sun Belt). The last time three Little Rock players each had a double-double in a single match was in 2014 against Kansas at the NCAA Tournament. Robinson led the match and tied her career high with 15 kills while also tallying 12 digs and three total blocks. Mesa put up a career-high 14 kills and tied her career high for digs with 13. Avram racked up 13 kills with 18 digs. Veronica Marin was the fourth Trojan with double-digit kills as she put down 10 with three block assists.
 
Kara Spicer led the Mountaineers (6-9, 1-0) with 14 kills while Emma Reilly tallied a match-high 26 digs.
 
The Trojans got out to a blistering start as they took a 12-point win and led the entirety of the first set. Robinson, Marin and Daisha Gillard each put down four kills for the set while Taylor Lindberg had 11 assists. Avram added seven digs on defense. Little Rock had the advantage in kills (15-9), hitting percentage (.448-.062), assists (13-9), aces (1-0), digs (14-10) and blocks (1-0).
 
Attack errors built up for Little Rock in the second frame as it went on to hit just .027 compared to App State's .276. The Mountaineers took advantage and came up with their largest lead of the night with 10 points at 21-11. The Trojans decreased the deficit to seven, but it was too little, too late for Little Rock. Avram led the set with five kills on 11 attempts while Mesa added four kills of her own.
 
The Trojans got back on track in the third set with a four-point win. The set included a match-high four lead changes. Lindberg set the tempo for Little Rock with a set-high 13 assists while Mesa and Robinson each put down four kills. Sydnee Martin had seven digs while Mesa and Gillard each put up two blocks. The Trojans hit .293 for the set compared to the Mountaineers' .119.
 
The fourth set included six tie scores and just one lead change as App State went on to win by three. Like the second set, it all came down to errors for the Trojans as they tallied 11 in total on attacks and serves combined. Robinson put down a set-high six kills while Lindberg added another 12 assists.
 
The fifth and final set looked promising for the Trojans as they took an 8-2 lead to begin the frame. With Little Rock still up 13-9, Appalachian State went on a huge six-point run to end the set and match.
 
Gillard led the match with five total blocks (two solo and three assisted) and tied her career high with nine kills. Lindberg had match highs with 46 assists and a .364 hitting percentage with nine digs, four kills and two block assists. Martin finished the night with a team-high 19 digs and a career-high seven assists.
 
Little Rock had the advantage in nearly every category including kills (65-55), hitting percentage (.205-.155), assists (58-53), digs (78-76) and blocks (10-7), but the errors mounted up for Little Rock as they had 42 in total compared to App State's 40.
 
Little Rock will have less than 24 hours to recover as the Trojans welcome Coastal Carolina to the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.