LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Nedima Kamberovic hasn't served an ace since the 2018 season. But Tuesday night she had a pair of them – including on the final point of the match to clinch the win – as well as a team-high 15 kills as Little Rock rallied back from a two-set deficit for a 3-2 win over Southeast Missouri.
Her serving success was part of a larger effort as Little Rock (5-18, 2-8 Ohio Valley) utilized 12 aces across seven different players to beat a Redhawk team that entered the contest having won three straight matches. Kamberovic added a pair of blocks (one solo) and digs to go along with her aces and 15 kills. Set scores were 22-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-21 and 15-12.
It didn't come easy for the Trojans. Southeast Missouri (11-11, 6-4) seemed to be strolling after two sets with Zoey Beasley recording eight of her match-high 17 kills in the first two frames and the Redhawks had a 7-3 advantage in blocks. But something clicked after intermission for the Trojans.
The third frame saw Little Rock tally five blocks including four by
Zanobia Willis, who finished the evening with a match-high eight blocks. SEMO, who hit above .200 in the first two sets, was limited to a .000 mark in the third set.
In the final two sets, Little Rock poured on the aces. Four came in the fourth set including two by
Laure Jansen, who finished the match with three aces but also posted a double-double with 12 kills and 20 digs. Bit it was Kamberovic who proved to be the spark, putting down seven kills in the fourth set alone. With the Trojans having rallied back to tie the match, Little Rock used its home court advantage to pull through the vital fifth set.
The Trojans would never trail in the final frame and hit a match-high .312. Kamberovic added three more kills to her line and served her first ace in over four years as Little Rock took a 7-2 lead in the set.
Despite a furious rally by SEMO – the Redhawks pulled within one at 13-12, it was a Kamberovic kill that gave the Trojans match point only to witness the sixth-year player seal the win with an ace, her second of the set and second in four years.
The win, the second in the past three matches, gives the Trojans momentum headed into the weekend as Little Rock hosts Southern Indiana in an OVC series beginning Friday evening.
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