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LITTLE ROCK - After defeating Georgia Southern in the First Round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament, the Trojans are ready for their quarterfinal matchup. Little Rock (4-5-2, 3-3-2 Sun Belt) will face South Alabama (8-3, 8-2 Sun Belt), the first seed in the East division of the conference, on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 1:30 p.m. for a chance to advance to the semifinals.
Fans are welcome to attend the match, but must wear face coverings at all times, practice social distancing within the complex, and may not interact with teams before or after games.Â
Coach's Preview
"It's a good feeling to be back in the quarterfinals and it's a good feeling to be back competing at this level," said head coach Mark Foster. "We were determined to get back, and I think we proved a point yesterday. Hopefully we can do it again tomorrow."
The Trojans will be using the momentum from yesterday's exciting win over Georgia Southern to propel Little Rock through their next stage in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. The energy on the team is infectious after a postseason win, highlighted by a breakout performance from freshman Mariella Stephens.
"I think that will elevate Mariella's confidence, and that'll impact the team and take it to another level," said Coach Foster, adding, "It'll also be an inspiration to other players. They can look and go, if she can do that, I can do that. Her bravery on the set plays and composure to take a great touch can spread across the team."
Like usual, Little Rock will be directing their focus inwards within a tournament environment where anything can happen, especially if a team is in the right head space.
"It'll be a really tough game, but I think it'll be similar to all the games yesterday with lots of nerves and lots of tight games that can go either way," said Coach Foster. "For us, we want to focus on ourselves and see if we can relax, be confident, and play our own game, because that will give us a great chance to be successful. Teams that enjoy the occasion and play their own game are the teams that usually go far in tournaments. I think that can be us, just watching our ladies here, how they're training and how they played against Georgia Southern. They're in a good place to go out and do that."
A Glance at the Matchup
Once again, this will be Little Rock's first look at their opponent this year, as South Alabama played in the East division due to the modified travel format this season.
While the Jaguars have not seen action in a week, the Trojans have had the chance to play twice and earn two wins in the same time span, which is something that Coach Foster believes is what the team needed to be successful.
"Since we didn't get a lot of games at the start of the season, we've been behind everyone else in our match fitness and game practice," he explained. "So for where we are as a program, I'm delighted we had two games in the last week as well as two good performances."
If Little Rock can exhibit their usual strong defensive efforts and are confident enough to take chances like the team did on Monday, it could be the right formula to take down a well-rounded South Alabama team that has relied on their offensive play this season to sit atop the conference in points and shots taken.
The Trojans aim to slow down the Jaguars and advance to the semifinals of the Sun Belt tournament, which is set for Friday, Nov. 6.Â
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