Lexi Miller Archives - Marked Time

August 31, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears wrapped up play in D.C. in a massive way as they defeated the Sacred Heart Pioneers and host Georgetown Hoyas on Saturday to win the 2019 Georgetown Classic. The Sugar Bears (4-0) concluded play on a high note as they easily handled previously undefeated Hoyas in three sets and recorded a scorching .338 hitting percentage.

UCA 3, PIONEERS 1

The Sugar Bears continued to lay the attack on their opponents this afternoon as they delivered 55 kills on the Pioneers. Senior Abbie Harry led the way for Central Arkansas with a team-high 16 kills and 13 digs while sophomores Madi Bowles and Lexi Miller contributed 13 and 11 kills. The setter pairing of senior Elizabeth Armstrong and junior Bailey Waddington continued to be a dynamic duo with 47 combined assists while junior libero Emily Doss recorded a match-high 16 digs.

SET 1 – Both teams gave the crowd an entertaining start to the match as there were six ties recorded within the first 12 points. After a Sugar Bear error made it 6-6, Miller recorded two of her 11 kills during a 6-1 run that gave her team some breathing room. The Sugar Bears timed their next run perfectly as they answered a Pioneers kill with five straight points to make it 17-10. Sacred Heart would pull within six after a Central Arkansas error, but two straight errors of their own granted Central Arkansas the 25-18 win.

SET 2 – The second set started similar to the first as the initial 16 points saw six ties. The Pioneers attempted to create breathing room of their own with a quick 3-0 spurt to make it 10-8, but the Sugar Bears responded with two kills and four straight points to regain the 12-10 lead. Central Arkansas created crucial separation from Sacred Heart with a 5-0 run a few points later to confidently lead 18-12. The Pioneers attempted to threaten with two straight points to make it 24-21, but Harry’s fifth kill of the set notched the 25-21 win.

SET 3 – The Pioneers came out of the break desperate and grabbed an early 5-1 lead. Their lead later stretched to eight off a kill, but the Sugar Bears momentarily stopped the bleeding with three straight points to make it 15-10. The Pioneers kept countering Sugar Bear responses until point 35 when Central Arkansas turned up the pressure and took five of the next six to make it 21-19. Still down 24-21, the Sugar Bears got a Harry kill and three straight Pioneer errors to take their first lead at 25-24. Central Arkansas had two chances to win but could not convert and the Pioneers took the third set 29-27 off back-to-back kills. The Sugar Bears recorded a set-high 16 kills in the comeback effort.

SET 4 – The Sugar Bears handled the loss well and responded with an early 4-1 lead. The Pioneers held their composure and took four of the next five to tie it at 5-5. After the Sugar Bears grabbed a 9-7 lead off a Harry kill, the Pioneers took their biggest lead after a 7-1 run made it 14-10. Central Arkansas immediately regained the momentum with a 5-1 run off back-to-back Sacred Heart errors to tie it at 15. After going back and forth for a handful of points, freshman Alexis Stumbough converted her second kill of the set to give the Sugar Bears the 20-19 lead. She stayed hot and converted two more kills before Waddington sent the Pioneers to the locker room with a service ace to win 25-22.

UCA 3, HOYAS 0

The Sugar Bears saved their best tournament performance for last as they converted 38 kills and a season-low 12 errors. Harry and Miller led the attack with 11 and 10 kills while Waddington contributed a team-high 16 assists. Doss continued to jumpstart the offense, providing a game-high 12 digs.

SET 1 – The match started in true championship fashion as six ties were recorded within the first 16 points. Miller helped create separation from the Hoyas with three kills amongst a 5-0 run to make it 13-8. After two straight Sugar Bear errors pulled the Hoyas within three, Bowles got red-hot and converted three straight kills to give her team a strong 17-10 lead. Georgetown had no answers for Central Arkansas as a Harry kill completed a 25-16 win.

SET 2 – The second set stayed close through the first 26 points as nine ties occurred and the Sugar Bears delivered seven kills. The Sugar Bears were finally able to pull away and go on a 6-1 run powered by five straight Hoya errors that made it 19-14. Georgetown had a small glimmer of hope after a kill pulled them within four, but Central Arkansas would close the match on a 6-0 run and take it 25-15. The Hoyas finished with 10 errors in the set.

SET 3 – The Sugar Bears jumped out to a quick 4-2 lead thanks to a Harry kill and three Hoya errors. After Harry’s second kill of the set made it 8-4, Georgetown responded with a mini 3-1 run to pull within two at 9-7. Both teams would go back and forth for the next seven points before the Sugar Bears benefitted from even more Hoya errors and went on a 6-0 run to lead 18-11. The Sugar Bear lead ballooned even further after junior Amari Mitchell delivered back-to-back kills and made it 20-11 to put the Hoyas on their heels. Georgetown tried their best to keep their crowd entertained by going on a quick 4-0 run to cut the lead to four, but they would not get any closer as Central Arkansas converted four kills and secured the championship match at 25-19.

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH MARISSA COLLINS ON DAY TWO

“I could not be prouder of the way this team played. They showed heart, growth and so much grit through the tough competition we faced.

Our defensive efforts and blocking presence were key, along with being able to run the most diverse offense we’ve had since I’ve been coaching at UCA.

Every single player contributed to our team’s success this weekend and we are really excited to build off of this tournament going into Kansas State next weekend.”

UP NEXT

The Sugar Bears will return home and have little time to rest as they will hit the road next Wednesday for the K-State Invitational in Manhattan, Kansas. Their first match is set to come against the Omaha Mavericks on September 5 at 12 p.m.

August 30, 2019

By UCA SPORTS INFORMATION

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.