If there was ever a great time for the Little Rock volleyball team to sweep a conference series, this week's back-to-back at UT Martin is a perfect – and necessary – occasion. The Trojans (7-18, 4-10 OVC) need to take two from the Skyhawks if they want to stay in the hunt for a berth in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. A loss on either Thursday or Friday will most likely pull the plug on that possibility.
Little Rock meets UT Martin (8-16, 6-8) Thursday at 7:30 pm and again at 6 pm on Friday at the Skyhawk Fieldhouse in Martin, Tenn. Friday's match can be seen on ESPN+. Live stats for both matches will be available at lrtrojans.com.
MATCH NOTES
While four teams seem to have a firm grasp on the top four seeds in the upcoming OVC Tournament, the last four spots are still up for grabs between six teams. UT Martin is one of four teams – along with SIUE, Southern Indiana, and Western Illinois – that are tied for fifth at 6-8. Tennessee Tech is a half game back at 6-9 and the Trojans are clinging to life, two games back at 4-10. But with just four matches to play, winning is the only way Little Rock will have a chance to extend its season.
The picture should get a little clearer by the end of the week, as Southern Indiana meets Lindenwood (9-5), SIUE hosts Eastern Illinois (12-2) and Tennessee Tech hosts SEMO (12-2). Western Illinois will also host last-place Tennessee State (2-12). Little Rock will close out the regular season next week at home against SIUE, but for those matches to matter, what the Trojans do in Martin this week is pivotal.
SERIES HISTORY — Little Rock leads the all-time series, 7-3, but has lost three straight after a 7-0 start against the Skyhawks, including both matches last season in their first meeting as OVC foes. The Skyhawks won the only match played in Martin, a 3-1 win by UT Martin in 2019. The Trojans are 2-2 at home against the Skyhawks and 5-0 at neutral sites. Last season, UT Martin swept the conference series 3-1 and 3-2 at the Jack Stephens Center.
TROJAN FACTS — Little Rock heads to Tennessee on a three-game losing streak with all three coming by way of straight set sweeps. Granted, those matches were against SEMO and Eastern Illinois, the two teams tied for first in the OVC … The Trojans are 2-9 on the road, but did earn a reverse sweep road win over Lindenwood recently back on Oct. 28 … Over the last six matches, four different players have led the Trojans in kills, including
Bella Cherry,
Daedrianna Cail,
Daria Burrows, and
Jeila Fullerton.
SKYHAWK FACTS — UT Martin is 4-3 at home and has won three in a row at the Skyhawk Fieldhouse … The Skyhawks boast one of the more experienced rosters in the OVC with three graduates, two seniors and six juniors. UT Martin does not have a freshman on its roster, a start contrast to Little Rock, who dresses seven freshmen and 13 underclassmen … The Skyhawks rank in the bottom half of the OVC in all team statistical categories, except digs (4
th).
