Little Rock, UCA put on show with five-set slugfest at UCA Invitational

CONWAY — Little Rock and Central Arkansas traded jabs Friday night in front of a full house at the Prince Center, until the host Sugar Bears emerged with a 3-2 win over the Trojans during the UCA Invitational, in a match that also gave UCA three points towards the Governor's Cup.
 
After splitting two matches last season, UCA (1-2) took this year's installment of the Governor's I-40 Showdown presented by Arkansas BCBS, by scores of 25-15, 23-25, 25-15, 23-25, and 15-11.
 
Little Rock (2-3) will look to end the weekend on a winning note when it meets Boston College tomorrow at 4 pm in Conway. The Trojans dropped both matches on Friday.
 
Bella Cherry (17 kills), Avery Fearnley (12 kills), and A'lanae Margaritha (7 kills) led the Trojan attack. Fearnley's total is a new personal single-game high, just one week after the redshirt freshman had set the mark with 11 during the Lion Invitational in Texas.
 
Margaritha led the hitting attack at .313, while Dariana Valencia (26) and Kaylee Smith (15) paced the Trojans in assists. Cherry and Andrea Roman each had an ace.
 
Roman led the defensive effort with 26 digs, while Smith totaled 11. Margaritha had a team-high three blocks, Jaycee Kennedy added a pair, and Fearnley also had a pair.