Trojans finish series sweep of WIU, clinch berth in OVC Championship

MACOMB, Ill. — Little Rock secured its third consecutive Ohio Valley Conference victory on Friday, and with it, a berth in the OVC Championships later this month. The Trojans finished a series sweep of Western Illinois by scores of 25-19, 25-21, 21-25, and 25-22. Little Rock improved to 14-12 overall and 9-5 in conference play with four matches remaining in the regular season.
 
While Friday's match was much more competitive than the day before, when Little Rock hit .388 on the way to an easy sweep of the Leathernecks (7-20, 4-10), the result was still the same. But while Thursday's contest was a banner day for the offense, today's contest was highlighted by the Trojans' defense, which totaled 107 digs. 
 
"It was good to get this second win on the road and at the same time, clinch a spot in the OVC tournament. Andrea and the rest of the defense played very well today, and that made the difference for us." – Little Rock head coach Van Compton
 
Andrea Roman – among the nation's leaders in digs again this season – collected 35 digs in just four sets to lead the way. Crismeyli Rodriguez finished with 19 digs, Dariana Valencia tallied 17, Bella Cherry had 13, and Kaylee Smith finished with a dozen. Jaycee Kennedy turned in five blocks to boost Little Rock at the net.
 
"Our blockers did a great job setting things up, and that allows me to read and stay aggressive. We stayed very disciplined defensively and played with confidence." – Little Rock junior Andrea Roman
 
Cherry paced the offense with 15 kills, followed by Rodriguez with 14, and Sophia Garrido with 12. Valencia had 25 assists with Smith adding 16. Roman also collected eight assists.
 
Little Rock returns home for the last time this season to host Tennessee Tech on Nov. 13-14, with each match scheduled for 6 pm. The teams will meet while being tied for fourth place in the OVC with identical 9-5 OVC marks.