Box Score
CONWAY, Ark. - The Abilene Christian volleyball team dropped its first match against a Southland Conference opponent Thursday night, falling 3-0 to the defending league champions from Central Arkansas at the Prince Center.
The Sugar Bears won by scores of 25-15, 25-19 and 25-18 to improve to 8-3 on the season and 1-0 in the conference, while ACU slipped to 4-5 and 0-1 against the league.
The Wildcats were outhit by UCA, .407 to .181, as Sugar Bears Heather Schnars, Paige Gantar and Jessica Nagy finished with a combined 28 kills on 48 attempts. Schnars also contributed five of her team's 11 service aces and added a solo block.
Sophomore outside hitter Jennie Loerch had 10 kills to lead ACU, but no other Wildcat had more than five. Setter
Sarah Siemens recorded 19 of her club's 27 assists and libero
Madison Hoover had 10 digs.
The Sugar Bears outblocked the Wildcats, 5.0-2.0, led by Gantar's three – two of which were solo efforts.
Corrie Reeder and
Lexi Mercier combined on the Wildcats' two blocks.
ACU played UCA close throughout the second game and came within two points late at 17-15 following a kill from Reeder. But the Sugar Bears responded with three-straight points to push their advantage to five points on the strength of kills from Marissa Collins, Gantar and Schnars.
Four possessions later, an attack error by Scout Brooks brought ACU to within three points at 21-18, however, the home team would go on to win four of the next five points.
Central Arkansas jumped out to a 4-0 lead in game three, and even though the Wildcats trimmed their deficit to two points on several occasions, they could never sustain any amount of momentum despite hitting .400. The Sugar Bears put the game largely out of reach at 20-15 on a service ace from Collins and then clinched the match on Brooks' third ace of the night.
The Wildcats return to action Saturday afternoon at Oral Roberts. The match is slated to start at 2 p.m.
