Little Rock flexes its muscles with sweep of first-place Morehead State

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Entering Saturday's conference match, visiting Morehead State had lost just three sets in conference play. They left the Jack Stephens Center with three more, plus the first blemish on its Ohio Valley Conference record, thanks to a 3-0 sweep by the Trojans, who earned a split of the season series against the first-place Eagles.
 
Morehead State (17-6, 11-1 OVC) had compiled a 33-3 record in conference sets after putting away Little Rock in four on Friday night. But where the Trojans (12-12, 7-5) were unsuccessful last night – closing out sets while leading – they took care of business today and sent a message to the OVC that they weren't to be taken lightly.
 

"The things we were unable to do last night, finishing sets when we had the lead, the girls came out and took care of those things today. We were determined to play a more complete game and did that. We had huge games from a couple of seniors, Jaycee and Margaritha, that made a big difference. They were unstoppable on both sides of the net. It was a total team effort, and everybody made important contributions." – Little Rock head coach Van Compton

 
A'lanae Margaritha led the team with 14 kills on 21 attempts, achieving a hitting percentage of .667 and contributing 17.5 points. Jaycee Kennedy recorded six blocks, adding to her 10 points and seven kills. Andrea Roman excelled defensively, collecting 19 digs and adding three assists. Dariana Valencia facilitated her teammates with 21 assists while also adding nine digs and a service ace. The Trojans held Morehead State to just .179 percent on its attack.
 

"This win is huge for us. It's not just about the score but the confidence it builds within the team. This kind of success reinforces our commitment and unity, which will only propel us further in our journey." – Little Rock senior captain Jaycee Kennedy

 
The first set commenced with Little Rock and the Eagles exchanging early points, as the Eagles initially took the lead. Little Rock responded with a significant rally to equalize at 10-10, highlighted by a service ace from Roman and kills by Crismeyli Rodriguez and Margaritha. Following the tie, Little Rock continued to exert pressure, capitalizing on the Eagles' errors and effective blocks by Vivian Lucumi and Kennedy, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
 
Little Rock opened the second set with a strong start, capitalizing on the Eagles' errors to secure a 3-0 lead, highlighted by Margaritha's kill. Little Rock maintained control with a kill from Sophia Garrido, extending the lead to 4-1. Despite multiple rallies from the Eagles, Little Rock regained momentum. Bella Cherry played a pivotal role, delivering crucial kills to push the home team ahead 13-10. The Eagles fought back, closing the gap to 21-19, but Kennedy's timely kills sealed the set for Little Rock. The set concluded with a 25-23 victory for Little Rock, extending the match.
 
Little Rock capitalized on a strong start in the third set with a 4-0 run, initiated by an attack error from the Eagles, followed by a kill and a service ace from Margaritha. Little Rock maintained momentum, extending its lead to 9-3 with effective blocks and another service ace from Margaritha.
 
Despite a rally by the Eagles, which tied the score at 20-20, Little Rock regained control. Kennedy's timely kill and a service error by the Eagles allowed Little Rock to inch ahead. The decisive moments came with back-to-back blocks involving Kennedy and Lucumi, pushing Little Rock to the edge of victory. Little Rock ultimately secured the set and the match with a final score of 26-24.
 
Little Rock takes this momentum on the road next week for two matches against Western Illinois on Thursday and Friday, in Macomb, Illinois.