Little Rock opens series against Tennessee State with 3-0 win

LITTLE ROCK — With their third win in as many conference games, Little Rock moved into an early tie for the top spot in the Ohio Valley Conference thanks to a straight-set win over Tennessee State at the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans improved to 8-7 overall and 3-0 in the OVC with scores of 25-15, 25-17, and 25-16 against the Tigers (1-15, 0-4).
 
While the coaching staff may have been pleased with the outcome, there was a bit left to the imagination when it came to effort – a sentiment that was echoed during the team's postgame huddle.
 

"I appreciate the win, but I felt like we approached the game the wrong way, maybe with the wrong attitude and just didn't have our best effort or best energy tonight," head coach Van Compton said. "We talked to the girls after the match about bringing their absolute best tomorrow, and I think they'll do that. Every game in conference play is just as important as the next one, and I felt as if we were a bit haphazard about it. The challenge we gave them for tomorrow is to bring the highest energy and intensity for the second match."

 
Little Rock hit just .183 for the match but took advantage of several Tennessee State miscues, including 21 attack errors, seven service errors, and six more on the receiving end. The Tigers hit just .018 in the contest, including a negative (-.031) in the second frame.
 
Bella Cherry led the Trojan attack with 12 kills, Crismeyli Rodriguez added seven on .318 hitting, and Jaycee Kennedy hit .364 while totaling six kills. A'lanae Margaritha also had five kills on just eight attempts. Dariana Valencia had 15 assists while Kaylee Smith turned in 14 helpers.
 
Andrea Roman had 22 digs, Rodriguez added 11, and Smith had 10. Margaritha added four blocks and a pair of aces. Kennedy and Sophia Garrido each had three blocks, and three players – Cherry, Rodriguez, and Avery Fearnley – had two apiece.
 
Little Rock will look to sweep the series tomorrow when they meet the Tigers again at 2:00 pm. The match can be seen on ESPN+. It will be Hometown Heroes Day at the Jack Stephens Center, where all military and first responders can receive up to four (4) complimentary tickets when showing ID at the ticket window.
 

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