Little Rock drops Arkansas Classic finale

August 31, 2019

By UALR SPORTS INFORMATION

FAYETTEVILLE –Carol Barbosa and Amna Osmankovic each posted seven kills, Barbosa was named to the All-Tournament Team and a match featuring 11 ties and five lead changes didn’t fall Little Rock’s way in the Arkansas Classic finale against Northwestern State, 3-0.

Set scores were 25-20, 25-17 and 25-17.

Northwestern State 3, Little Rock 0 | 25-20, 25-17, 25-17 | Box Score | PDF 

Behind the Box Score

  • The first set featured 10 ties and four lead changes. Little Rock had two aces in the set to NSU’s none.
  • Nathalia Vigineski served up an ace to start the second set. It was the second ace of the match for her and the second of her collegiate career.
    • Five different Trojans served up an ace over the weekend.
  • Carol Barbosa and Amna Osmankovic each posted three kills in the second set.
  • Anna Hurlburt was strong at the net in the third set with two block assists. That came in the middle of a 4-0 run that pulled the Trojans within one point.
  • Northwestern State was led by Hannah Brister (16 kills) and Reagan Lee (.636 pct.)

Leaders by the Numbers

Notables

  • Carol Barbosa was named to the Arkansas Classic All-Tournament Team after recording 20 kills, 11 digs and five blocks over the weekend’s action.
  • Nathalia Vigineski recorded her first two career service aces in the match.
  • Amna Osmankovic’s seven kills and two service aces marked weekend highs for the true freshman.
  • Anna Hurlburt recorded two block assists in the match, both of which came in the third set.
  • Little Rock still leads the all-time series over Northwestern State, 5-1.

Up Next
Little Rock travels to Tulsa, Oklahoma, next weekend to compete against Air Force, Illinois State and host Oral Roberts in the ORU Classic.

Little Rock finishes 7th at Memphis meet

August 31, 2019

By LITTLE ROCK SPORTS INFORMATION

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Little Rock Director of Track & Field/Cross Country J.P. Behnke set out to bring in a strong recruiting class. That new talent was on display at the season-opening Memphis Twiglight Classic with underclassmen posting top three men’s finishes and two fo the top three women’s finishes.

In all, the Trojan men finished seventh with all five scorers posting top-50 marks while the women placed ninth.

Sophomore Carter Reynolds paced the men with an 18th place finish, running the four-mile race in 21:07.45, while freshman Colby Swecker’s time of 21:24.22 placed him 25th. Sophomore Ricardo Banks ran 21:36.02 to finish 35th as three underclassmen led the Trojan men.

Junior Jarred O’Conner posted a time of 21:54.24 to finish 43rd while senior Emilio Medina ran 22:07.88 to round out the scoring five for Little Rock and bringing an upperclassmen presence to the top five.

On the women’s side, junior Vianney Sanchez posted a 5k time of 19:48.14 to place 52nd and lead the women before two freshmen made their mark. Rookie Ariana Garcia ran 19:57.55 to finish 58th and she was closely followed by Jordan Edwards’ time of 19:57.79 for a 59th place finish.

Senior Hunter Paul finished 72nd with a time of 20:29.79 and freshman Amanda Gordon rounded out the scoring five with a mark of 21:29.79, placing 88th.

Little Rock will head up the road to Conway for the UCA Cross Country Challenge on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Little Rock falls to Missouri State

September 1, 2019

By UALR SPORTS INFORMATION

LITTLE ROCK – The Little Rock soccer team (1-3-1) fought hard at home against a quick Missouri State team, falling 2-1 after a strong attempt at equalizing the match. Doro Greulich scored her first goal of the season in the first appearance of her senior campaign, soaring a well-placed shot into the net after being awarded a free kick right outside the box.

Missouri State started off the game with the control, earning a goal in the 11th minute. However, the Trojans were right in the midst of the action, creating several opportunities of their own, ultimately being stopped by an agile Bear goalie. MSU struck again at the 83rd minute following a well-executed cross, but Little Rock refused give up and earned a goal of their own soon after.

“I think we’re actually playing some really good soccer,” said head coach Mark Foster. “I know we’re not getting the results that reflect that, but that’s the reality of college sports. We’re just a little short, even though some of our girls played their best game of the season. If we stay positive, I think we’re going to learn the lessons and figure it out soon.”

Little Rock looked lively, despite competing in the third game within the past five days. The Trojans registered 9 shots to the Bears’ 8, with five on goal by five different players. Along with Greulich’s, Bergros AsgeirsdottirFanney EinarsdottirMari Young, and Ziva Payer each notched on-target shots. Little Rock also managed to earn 11 free kicks compared to Missouri State’s three, helping the offensive action.

The Trojans will take the next couple of days to regroup before the team travels to Texas on Thursday, Sept. 5, to take on TCU at 7 p.m.

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

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 FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

Little Rock Soccer falls to Tulsa

August 30, 2019

By LITTLE ROCK SPORTS INFORMATION

LITTLE ROCK – The Trojan soccer team (1-2-1) was unable to defeat a tough Tulsa team this evening, dropping the road match 3-1. Julia Edholm scored both the team’s and her own second goal of the season in just the fourth match of her collegiate career. Thanks to junior Morgan Smocovich’s cross from the corner, the freshman was able to sink the ball into the net at the 56th minute.

Tulsa earned two goals in the first half at the 17th and 24th minutes, but Little Rock responded in the second before their opponents sealed the deal in the 79th minute.

“We weren’t able to take our chances and they were,” said head coach Mark Foster. “That was the difference – we weren’t able to execute; they were.”I’m delighted at the team’s response to two goals down. They didn’t give up and instead kept fighting. I thought we were going to get an equalizer, but I’m proud of the effort overall.”

The game was quite even for long periods of time, and the Golden Hurricanes provided relentless effort for the Trojan defense to counter, firing off 20 shots. Nevertheless, goaltender Julia Curatolo made four excellent saves while in the box the entire game, while the Tulsa goalie was unable to stop Little Rock’s on-target shot.

Along with her goal, Edholm also registered one shot. Teammates Abril Lucio, a sophomore, and Peyton Laughley, a junior, also joined her with one apiece.

The Trojans will return to their home at Coleman Sports Complex this Sunday, Sept. 1, hosting Missouri State at 1 p.m. For more information on the upcoming match, click here.

For the latest information on Little Rock Soccer, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockSOC on FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

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.