Volleyball Archives - Page 3 of 3

Sugar Bears take Two Narrow Wins at Georgetown Classic

August 30, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears narrowly escaped day one of the Georgetown Classic as they defeated the Rider Broncs and Central Connecticut State Blue Devils in five-set thrillers. The Sugar Bears overcame early adversity in both matches, erasing 1-0 deficits in route to the wins.

UCA 3, BRONCS 2

Sophomores Lexi Miller and Madi Bowles led the Sugar Bears attack against the Broncs, finishing with 15 and 11 kills. In her first career collegiate match, 5’11 freshman Alexis Stumbough provided an instant boost off the bench with 9 kills on a .400 hitting percentage. The well-proven setter duo of junior Bailey Waddington and senior Elizabeth Armstrong combined for 45 assists while senior Rayna Jefferis and junior libero Emily Doss combined for 26 digs.

SET 1 – The Sugar Bears gained their biggest lead of the set at 11-8 after a service ace and kill from senior Abbie Harry sparked a 5-0 run. The Broncs responded by taking full control of the set as they reached 25 on a 17-7 run.

SET 2 – The second set was essentially a flip of the first as Central Arkansas took control following a competitive start. After a Broncs kill made it 6-6, the Sugar Bears scored five straight and never looked back. Miller recorded two of her set-high six kills in the spurt and the team finished with a set-high 16 kills in route to a 25-16 win.

SET 3 – The third set started in a battle as four ties occurred within the first eight points. The next 16 points would be a trio of runs as Rider and Central Arkansas continued to claw at each other. After a quick 4-0 Sugar Bear run cut the deficit to 11-9, the Broncs responded with five of the next six points to make it 16-10 and eventually cruised to a 25-20 win.

SET 4 – With their backs against the wall, the Sugar Bears came out focused and secured an early 7-1 lead off back-to-back Stumbough service aces. The Broncs would pull within five off a kill and Sugar Bear error to make it 15-10, but Central Arkansas eventually closed them off with six straight points to win 25-15. Stumbough recorded two kills in the last four points to continue her strong morning.

SET 5 – The Broncs started the last set with an early 2-0 lead before the Sugar Bears took the next six points to create the breathing room needed to take the match. After a Central Arkansas service error pulled Rider within two, a pair of kills from Miller and junior Amari Mitchell solidified the win. The Sugar Bears recorded an impressive 10 kills in the last set.

UCA 3, BLUE DEVILS 2

The Sugar Bears attack was on full display against the Blue Devils as they recorded 68 kills. Stumbough continued her impressive day with a team-high 15 kills and 14 digs. Redshirt-junior Ravin Rhodes, Bowles and Harry also contributed with 10+ kills apiece. Waddington and Armstrong made passing look easy as they combined for 65 assists on the night while Doss led the team in digs with 23.

SET 1 – The first set saw four ties within the first 14 points as both sides started strong. After a Bowles kill gave the Sugar Bears a 13-11 lead, the Blue Devils scored the next four and never trailed again. An Armstrong kill pulled Central Arkansas within three at 23-20, but Central Connecticut scored two of the next three to win 25-21.

SET 2 — The Sugar Bears capitalized on two straight Blue Devil attack errors and took an early 3-0 lead. The set was decided when the Sugar Bears turned their narrow 9-7 lead into a comfortable 17-9 advantage. Errors haunted the Blue Devils again as they converted five of them during the spurt. Bowles and Stumbough led the Central Arkansas attack in the set with four kills apiece.

SET 3 – The third set was about Central Arkansas runs and kills as they recorded two separate five-point streaks and a set-high 17 kills. After a Blue Devil kill brought them within two at 12-10, the Sugar Bears responded with five unanswered points and three kills to position them nicely at 17-10. The Blue Devils would later respond with a 4-0 spurt to pull within one at 21-20, but a pair of kills from Stumbough would help push Central Arkansas to a 25-22 win.

SET 4 – The Blue Devils saw their best performance at the net in the fourth set as they recorded a set-high 17 kills to help stay alive. Trailing 24-20, the Sugar Bears attempted to rally as they strung together back-to-back kills from Harry and Mitchell. The rally fell short soon after though as a service error gave the Blue Devils point 25.

SET 5 – Like the fifth set against the Riders, the Sugar Bears took early control of the set with a commanding 7-0 lead. The Blue Devils kept their heads high and scrapped together three straight to make it 10-6, but they would not get closer than four as a Stumbough kill slammed the door shut on the Blue Devils. For the second straight match, Central Arkansas recorded 10 kills in the fifth set and was led by Stumbough and Bowles.

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH JOHN NEWBERRY ON DAY ONE

“The first day of the tournament went just as we expected it to. Both teams were big and physical but played completely different styles of volleyball. The sets that we lost were based solely on our lack of execution with passing and a few mental errors. The sets that we won were fun and the team was able to get on several point runs.

We had some major bright spots with all of our positions at some point of the game. Several of our players had double digit kills which helped us have a well-balanced offense that is difficult to read.

We are excited for the next day. Competition is going to be a very strong challenge for us.”

UP NEXT

The Sugar Bears will wrap up tournament play tomorrow with a doubleheader against the Sacred Heart Pioneers and host Georgetown Hoyas. The first match against the Pioneers is set to begin at noon.

Trojans fall to Razorbacks

August 30, 2019

By LITTLE ROCK SPORTS INFORMATION

FAYETTEVILLE – Two extremely close sets put Little Rock in striking distance but the Trojans fell just short of claiming a set in a loss at Arkansas Friday evening. The match marked the first time the two Natural State schools met in the regular season.

Little Rock (0-2) dropped sets of 25-20, 25-21 and 25-12 in the match against the Razorbacks (2-0) but threatened in the first two sets.

Arkansas 3, Little Rock 0 | 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 | Box Score | PDF | Photo Gallery

Behind the Box Score

Little Rock forced five ties in the opening set.
A 6-0 run in the second set, capped off by a Carol Barbosa kill, gave the Trojans their greatest chance for a set win. That run pulled Little Rock within 23-21.
Midway through that 6-0 run, Arkansas was forced to call timeout after an ace by Diana Giordani.
Each team had five service aces but four of Arkansas’ five aces came in the third set.
Little Rock only trailed in blocks, 7-5.
Arkansas was led by Devyn Wheeler’s .727 hitting percentage (8-0-11).

Leaders by the Numbers

Carol Barbosa: 7 kills, 222 hitting percentage (7-3-18)
Diana Giordani, Laura Jansen: 2 service aces
Alyssa Nayar: 10 assists
Diana Giordani: 9 digs
Janae Thurston, Carol Barbosa, Annelise Samson: 2 blocks

Notables

Laura Jansen’s two service aces marked a career high. Her only other career service ace came earlier in the day against Montana State.
Diana Giordani’s two service aces fell one short of matching a career high.
Giordani’s nine digs ended a streak of eight consecutive matches played with double digit digs.
Arkansas now leads the all-time series, 2-0. The teams previously played in the 1997 NCAA Tournament.

Up Next
Little Rock faces Northwestern State on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 1 p.m.

For the latest information on Little Rock Volleyball, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockVB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Red Wolves earn First Win of Restrep Era

August 30, 2019

By ARKANSAS SPORTS INFORMATION

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On the opening day of the 2019 volleyball campaign, the Arkansas State volleyball team went 1-1 to open the Santiago Restrepo era, dropping a tight 3-2 season-opener to Milwaukee before sweeping North Alabama to mark Restrepo’s first win as head coach on Friday at the Bruiser Showcase.

Peyton Uhlenhake led the way for the Red Wolves (1-1), recording double-double performances in both matches. A-State also flexed its muscles defensively against UNA, holding the Lions to an attack percentage of .056. That effort marked the first time the Red Wolves held an opponent to a sub-.100 mark in that category since Oct. 13, 2018 vs. ULM.

MATCH 1 – Milwaukee 3, Arkansas State 2

In the season opener for both squads, Milwaukee claimed a tight 3-2 victory against the Red Wolves behind three players with double-digit kills and 10 aces. After dropping the first set, A-State battled back to take a 2-1 lead before the Panthers responded by forcing the decisive fifth set.

A-State was led by Peyton Uhlenhake, who posted the first double-double of her career (12 kills, 12 digs) and led the team in kills. Macey Putt also notched double-digit kills (11) and recorded a match-high 14.0 points. Julianna Cramer joined Uhlenhake with a double-double, collecting 10 digs to go along with a team-high 20 assists. Kendahl Davenport, in her collegiate debut, tallied a match-high 7.0 total blocks. Also on the defensive end, Ryley Gill collected a team-leading 13 digs.

Set 1 – Milwaukee 25-15
Milwaukee opened on a 4-0 run, and would not look back despite a late run by the Red Wolves pulling to within 3 early at 8-5 after a kill by Macey Putt, who tallied 5 of her 11 kills in the first set.

The Panthers would increase their lead by as much as 13 at 20-7 and would endure a late 6-0 A-State run that cut the deficit to 23-14. Milwaukee would take two of the next three points to take an early 1-0 lead in the match.

Set 2 – A-State 25-17
The Red Wolves bounced back in the second set, as Peyton Uhlenhake led the charge, recording 4 of her 12 kills (.625 attack %). Uhlenhake and Timber Terrell got the team started with two kills apiece in A-State’s 6-0 run to take a 7-2 lead, which was capped off by a Uhlenhake service ace.

A-State would continue to increase its lead, as Hannah Cox served back-to-back aces to move the Red Wolves ahead 15-8. The Panthers would surge late to cut the deficit to 18-15, but that would not be enough as A-State held on to take the second set 25-17.

Set 3 – A-State 25-18
The Red Wolves continued to improve on the offensive end, tallying 13 kills for the second straight set. A-State also benefited from a 7-2 run to open the stanza and led by as much as 8 in the set at 17-9.

At the net, Kendahl Davenport recorded 4 of her 7 total blocks on the day in the third set. Uhlenhake would go on to give the Red Wolves a 2-1 lead in the match with her fifth kill of the set.

Set 4 – Milwaukee 25-14
Milwaukee capitalized on another early 7-0 run, which the Red Wolves would not be able to overcome, despite a late 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 20-14. The Panthers would close with five more points to take a 25-14 decision to force a fifth set.

Josie Stanford led A-State offensively, recording 4 kills in the set.

Set 5 – Milwaukee 15-10
Both teams showcased intensity in the winner-take-all fifth set, with neither team taking more than a two-point advantage until Milwaukee broke a 10-all stalemate with a 5-0 run to take the set and match.

Macey Putt led all players with 3 kills in the set, while Madison Brown and Uhlenhake also contributed to the cause.

MATCH 2 – Arkansas State 3, North Alabama 0

In the second half of the twin bill, the Red Wolves stepped up offensively, hitting .241 with 42 kills on 37 assists. UNA, on the other hand, recorded only 21 kills on the day after besting Belmont in the previous match. After taking the first two sets by double-figures, the Red Wolves had to claw back from an early deficit if it wanted to take the third set. After knotting it up at 15-all, A-State sealed the deal with a 25-18 decision in the third to move to earn Restrepo’s first win as head coach at Arkansas State.

A-State was led by Uhlenhake again, who posted her second-straight double-double (14 kills, 10 digs). Malgorzata Andersohn also added a double-double performance with 18 assists and 10 digs. Timber Terrellenjoyed a strong outing, hitting .357 on 7 kills with a pair of block assists, while Macey Putt added 10 kills and a block assist.

Set 1 – A-State 25-14
After knotting it up at 2-all, Arkansas State went on a 4-0 run to take a 6-2 lead. From there, the Red Wolves would cruise to as much as a 22-8 lead. UNA powered back to cut the deficit to 23-14, but it would be too little too late, as a kill by Madison Brown and service ace by Josie Stanford closed out the set.

Timber Terrell recorded a 1.000 attack percentage in the set, going 3-for-3 to pave the way. Peyton Uhlenhake led all players with 4 kills.

Set 2 – A-State 25-10
The Red Wolves picked up right where they left off, going on an 11-1 run right out of the gate. After the Lions cut the A-State lead to 13-8, the Red Wolves scored 12 of the next 14 points to close out the set.

Much like the first set, the Red Wolves ended on an ace, this time by Hannah Cox – her second of the match and third of the day.

Set 3 – A-State 25-18
UNA turned the tables to start the third, going on an early 7-2 run, but the Red Wolves fought back to tie it up and eventually take the lead for good on a kill by Macey Putt that moved A-State ahead 16-15. After Anna Katherine Griggs tallied a kill for the Lions to cut the deficit to 17-16, the Scarlet and Black claimed eight of the last 10 points to earn the sweep.

Fittingly, the third set ended just as the previous two – on a service ace. This time, Cramer had the honors of clinching the match for the Red Wolves.

Quick Hitters

– With the win against North Alabama, the Red Wolves are now a perfect 28-0 when taking the first two sets, dating back to 2017.

– Arkansas State’s sweep against North Alabama marked the first 3-set triumph since Nov. 9, 2018 at ULM.

– Dating back to 2018, Arkansas State is 9-3 when holding opponents to an attack percentage of under .200.

– Four Red Wolves – Malgorzata Andersohn, Hannah Cox, Kendahl Davenport and Paulina Sobolewska – made their collegiate debuts between the two matches.

– Peyton Uhlenhake tallied career highs in kills (14) against North Alabama and digs (12) against Milwaukee.

Next Up

The Red Wolves will close out opening weekend in their first true road test of the season, taking on host Belmont at the Bruiser Showcase. First serve is slated for 2 p.m., and the match will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription only) with Christian Kaposy on the call.

Arkansas State owns a 6-2 lead in the series against the Bruins, although Belmont has claimed the last two meetings.

Schedule:
Saturday, Aug. 31:
11 a.m. – Milwaukee vs. North Alabama
2 p.m. – Arkansas State at Belmont (LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE ON ESPN+ [$])

Fans can follow the team on Twitter (@AStateVB) and Instagram (astatevb) along with liking the Arkansas State University Volleyball page on Facebook for the latest news and updates regarding the team.

Razorbacks dominate on Opening Day

August 30, 2019

By Jessica Roberson/Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas volleyball team secured a pair of victories on Friday on the opening day of the Arkansas Classic. The Razorbacks recorded straight set wins over Northwestern State earlier in the day before taking down Little Rock in front of a rocking crowd at Barnhill Arena.

The Razorbacks have one more match this weekend and will face Montana State on Saturday morning. After the Classic, Arkansas will hit the road to the west coast, headed to the SDSU/USD Challenge hosted by San Diego State.

FINAL
Arkansas 3, Northwestern State 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-18)
Attendance: 304 | Time: 1:16
Barnhill Arena

Quick Hits
Stat Leaders vs Northwestern State
Kills: Liz Pamphile, Jillian Gillen – 9
Digs: Klaire Trainor – 11
Notables
Senior Rachel Rippee led all players with 18 assists.
The Razorbacks led for the entirety of the first and third sets.
Arkansas is now 4-0 all-time against Northwestern State.

Junior Liz Pamphile led the Razorback offense with nine kills to the tune of a .412 hitting percentage against the Demons. Junior Hailey Dirrigl finished with a team high .625 hitting percentage through the first two sets after taking the bench due to an ankle injury.

Freshmen Jillian Gillen and Maggie Cartwright both earned a start against NSU, combining for 15 kills. Gillen also added six digs and three block assists to her collegiate debut. In total, five Hogs saw the court for the first time since arriving at Arkansas, including junior transfer Devyn Wheeler who contributed three kills, and redshirt-freshman Maylin Garret to recorded six kills in 10 attempts.

Arkansas limited Northwestern State to an .084 hitting percentage, thanks in part to an overall team effort on the defensive front. Junior Klaire Trainor led the Hogs with 11 digs, but three others recorded six or more digs in the win: Rachel Rippee (8), Jillian Gillen (6), and Gracie Ryan (6).

FINAL
Arkansas 3, Little Rock 0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-12)
Attendance: 767 | Time: 1:21
Barnhill Arena

Quick Hits
Stat Leaders vs Little Rock
Kills: Jillian Gillen – 13
Digs: Savannah Downing, Maggie Cartwright – 10
Double-Doubles: Maggie Cartwright (10 kills, 10 digs)
Notables
Junior Devyn Wheeler recorded eight kills with a .727 hitting percentage.
Arkansas held Little Rock to a .022 hitting percentage over three sets.

Gillen stayed hot throughout day one of the Arkansas Classic, helping lift the Razorbacks to a sweep of in-state opponent Little Rock. Gillen accounted for 35 of the Hogs’ 100 attacks in the victory, recording 13 kills behind a .286 hitting percentage.

Arkansas saw impressive performances from two other newcomers as well, as Cartwright played a balanced game and recorded the first double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs. Wheeler was the most efficient Hog of the day, and when combined with her .727 hitting percentage, the trio swung a striking .353 at the net.

Pamphile remained reliable on the defensive side of the ball, putting up five blocks for Arkansas. Gillen, Cartwright, and redshirt sophomore Maia Stripp also recorded multiple blocks in the win.

Arkansas controlled the pace of the entire match, never giving up the lead and keeping the Trojans at bay as to never even tie the score again after a 9-9 set score in the first. The Razorbacks led by as many as 15 points in the final set, thanks to a kill by Gillen with an assist from freshman Abbigail McGee.

The Razorbacks will return to Barnhill on Saturday morning for an 11 a.m. match against Montana State (1-1). Admission is free to all fans, parking is limited and fans are encouraged to park in Baum East down Razorback Road and take advantage of the shuttle service. Shuttles will begin to transport fans from Baum East to Barnhill Arena starting at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

Conway St. Joseph downs Heber Springs in Volleyball action

August 29, 2019

HEBER SPRINGS – Conway St. Joseph swept Heber Springs in nonconference volleyball play Thursday night at the Panther Den.

The Bulldogs (2-1) downed the Panthers (1-1) in four sets, 25-17, 26-24, 20-25, and 25-18.

In senior girls junior varisty play, St. Joseph defeated Heber Springs (1-1), 25-14 and 25-14.

Heber Springs will open 4A-Central play with a road contest at Pulaski Academy on Sept. 5.

Heber Springs drops Little Rock Hall in Volleyball Opener

Heber Springs sophomore Jessica Blalock waits for the serve in junior varsity volleyball action at the Panther Den on Tuesday. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

August 27, 2019

HEBER SPRINGS – The Heber Springs Panthers opened their 2019 volleyball season by sweeping Little Rock Hall in three sets at the Panther Den.

Heber Springs (1-0) downed the Warriors (0-1), 25-8, 25-8 and 25-12. In junior varsity action, the Panthers also claimed a win downing Little Rock Hall, 25-14 and 25-18.

Heber Springs returns to action on Thursday when they host Conway St. Joseph (1-0) beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Panther Den.

Heber Springs opens Volleyball Season with Little Rock Hall

Panthers are coming off a program first state tournament appearance

Heber Springs volleyball coach Andrea Riggs gives instructions during a recent practice at the Panther Den. The Panthers open their 2019 season on Tuesday at home against Little Rock Hall. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By Philip Seaton

HEBER SPRINGS – Last season was a year of firsts for the young Heber Springs volleyball program.

The Panthers had their first winning season in the program’s history which also resulted with their first state tournament berth.

Heber Springs will look to repeat on that 2018 performance when they open play today with a nonconference match with Little Rock Hall at the Panther Den beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Despite a three-set loss to the host Mena in the 4A state tournament in 2018, coach Andrea Riggs’ squad finished with a 13-8 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the 4A-Central conference in the seventh season of the sport at the Heber Springs.

“They have already said that (reaching the state tournament) has helped them and they know what to expect,” Riggs said. “That level of play helps any team.

“We lost two big front row players (from last year), and replacing with two inexperienced players, that’s tough but we are going to try some things.”

One of the things that will be tried this year for the program is another first — a junior high team.

“We had been starting in the ninth grade,” Riggs said. “We’ve been behind the curve, some teams we play actually start volleyball in the fourth grade.”

She added that will help in building the program over the long term.

“We are always rebuilding, there hasn’t been a year where we haven’t been in this situation,” Riggs said. “Until we get something established where we have a good competitive group of junior high kids that we can move up, and maybe have some 10th-graders getting some varsity play, like you see with a traditional basketball program, then those things will help us long term.”

Though the junior high team will not compete in a conference this season because of the lateness of declaring the program, Riggs said that junior high team has potential.

“It will hands down be the best we’ve had at that age,” she said.

While the future of the program looks bright, Heber Springs returns four players from last season that saw significant varsity action.

Seniors McKenzie Becerra, Katelyn Vanlandingham and Zoe Monroe, and junior Ellie Skelton.

“Ellie is a setter, and she pretty much runs the court,” Riggs said. “McKenzie is the libero and she is pretty much our best defensive player. Katelyn is a super strong hitter, sees the court well and has great volleyball knowledge, while Zoey is a good all-around player that is going to work hard.”

Riggs credited all four varsity returners with being good servers and said overall that serving will be one of the strengths of the team.

“We will be shallow on our hitting,” she said. “Hopefully that will progress as the year goes.”

Several seniors will be moving up from the junior varsity squad and are expected to see significant playing time this season.

“Cheyenne Kent does a good job blocking the ball which is nice, and we’ll be looking for her hitting game to improve,” Riggs said. “Mayra Leal and Abi Finkbeiner are (also) both moving up from junior varsity.”

She said that is typical for her team with seniors seeing their first significant varsity experience their senior season.

“That’s when most are ready to play,” Riggs said.

A couple of underclassmen may be the exception to that rule as Riggs said that sophomore Kiley Wilson may see some varsity action, “if I have to pull another hitter, might have to go to her.” Junior Felicia Wildmon may also see varsity of action according to Riggs.

The Panthers will most likely go with a nine-player rotation.

“That is more than in years past,” Riggs said. “We are having to play on different strengths, having to move some things around and shift some things.

“There some things we haven’t necessarily run in the past that we are running this year to try to play on the different strengths we do have.”

Morrillton, which was undefeated in conference play last season, and Pulaski Academy, a 4A state semifinalist team in 2018, are expected to be the teams to beat in 4A-Central play according to Riggs. Other teams in the blended 5A-4A conference are Lonoke (a state tournament team last year), Joe T. Robinson, Clarksville, Dover and Forrest City.

When asked what it will take for Heber Springs to make it back to the state tournament, Riggs said, “work hard on every single play.”

She continued, “Are they playing the ball smart? They are going to have to think and be smart. We are not going to have the tallest girls on the court, so we are going to have to outwork them. If they go out and work, we’ll do fine. If they don’t, we’ll get beat.”

Heber Springs’ 2019 Schedule

The 2019 Heber Springs Panther Volleyball Team

The 2019 Heber Springs Senior Volleyball Players