GIVE ME FIVE: Little Rock stuns Rutgers, matches best start in program history

FAYETTEVILLE — Just when it looked like the Little Rock Volleyball team was going to suffer their first loss of the season, the Trojans dug deep Friday in their second match of the day and rallied to beat Big 10 opponent Rutgers in five sets during the Wooo Pig Invitational at Barnhill Arena. Little Rock (5-0) not only matched the best start to a season in program history (1998, 2008) but earned its first win over a Power 5 school since 2021 and just the second in the last 10 years.
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LITTLE ROCK 3, RUTGERS 2
 
Three individuals set new career-best marks during the upset over Rutgers, giving the Trojans at least a split of the three-day event on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Kaylee Smith (27 assists), Kaila Harris (15 kills) and Andrea Roman (7 assists) each set new single-game marks in what has truly become an eye-opening start to the 2024 season.
 
"We played together and with a lot of enthusiasm and our bench was amazing," Little Rock head coach Van Compton said. "Now that we have a taste of winning, we're doing our best to seize every moment."
 
The Trojans certainly seized the moment Friday, rallying from a 2-1 deficit against the Scarlet Knights to win by scores of 21-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, and 17-15 in a thrilling fifth set. Jeila Fullerton (18 kills, 12 digs) notched her fifth double-double in as many games, Smith had 12 digs to go with her 27 assists, and Dariana Valencia posted a double-double with 21 assists and 13 digs.
 
The contributions came from everywhere as Andrea Roman finished with 20 digs and two aces, Bella Cherry added nine kills, Sophia Garrido had nine kills on .304 hitting as well as a pair of blocks, and Vivian Lucumi had three kills and a block in her Little Rock debut. Fullerton reached 500 career kills with her first point of the contest.
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LITTLE ROCK 3, LOUISIANA TECH 0
 
The Trojans started the day with a three-set rout of Louisiana Tech, during which Little Rock hit .282 for the match and outpointed the Bulldogs 51-29 in kills. The Trojans opened a 2-0 lead with scores of 25-22 and 25-20, then obliterated La Tech in the third by a score of 25-11. The match had just three lead changes.
 
"The effort and enthusiasm by the whole team made a big difference," Compton said. "A'lanae had a great match along with Sophia. Our bench was our seventh player today."
 
Fullerton put up 13 kills, 14 digs and a pair of blocks, while A'lanae Margaritha filled the stat sheet with six kills, seven digs, four blocks and three aces while hitting .545 percent. Again, contributions came from all over as Roman had 20 digs, Valencia finished with 26 assists and two aces, Cherry added 10 kills, Harris had eight kills, Smith added 15 assists and Garrido had nine kills while hitting .444 percent.
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UP NEXT
 
Little Rock will take on Wichita State (2-3) tomorrow at 4:30 pm in the second day of the Wooo Pig Invitational. The Shockers were swept in straight sets Friday night by the 21^st-ranked Razorbacks.