The UCA Sugar Bears volleyball team defeated the Bellarmine Knights on Oct. 4 at the Prince Center, three sets to one. 

This game makes the Sugar Bears’ (7-8, ASUN 4-0) this season. 

Coach John Newberry expressed why the Prince Center is such a special place to play volleyball. 

“The Prince Center is one of the best places to play in the country, ” Newberry said. “As soon as we got done with the game, and I shook the head coach’s hand, the very first thing he said to me was, ‘I hate this place.’ That should tell you everything you need to know.” 

The Sugar Bears got off to a hot start in the first set, with multiple kills by redshirt sophomore Laci Bohanann and senior right-side hitter Mackenzie Vernon, leading to a 25-16 first-set victory for UCA. 

The second set started out more competitive, with both teams scoring back-and-forth, with Bellarmine (4-10, ASUN 1-3) eventually taking an 8-7 lead over UCA.

 But the Sugar Bears didn’t stay down for long as they went on a 4-0 run, bringing the score to 11-8. The Knights answered back with a run of their own, scoring four of the next five points, tying the set at 12 a piece. 

The set would remain competitive with the Sugar Bears obtaining kills from senior middle blocker Allison Holloway, freshman outside hitter Regan Harp and Vernon.

UCA would take the lead 16-14. 

But Bellarmine would strike back with a kill from sophomore middle blocker Erika Smith, and a service ace from graduate student libero Mara Perry, tying the set 16-16. 

The Sugar Bears would then go on an offensive rampage, putting together a 7-0 run on kills from sophomore middle blocker Greyson Button, Bohannan and Harp, as well as two sets by Bellarmine, and a service ace by Harp. At that point, the Knights were too far behind and lost the second set 25-18. 

The third started with Bellarmine taking an early 5-2 lead on three kills, a service error and an ace. UCA would respond with a 3-0 run, tying the set at 5. 

The third set would remain neck-and-neck. 

Any time one team would get on top, the other would answer back, leading to a 22-20 Bellarmine lead. 

The Knights would score three of the next four points, winning the third set 25-21. 

UCA would score the first point in the fourth set on a service ace from Bohanann. But Bellarmine went on a 4-0 run and made the score 4-1.

 UCA would strike back with a 4-0 run of their own, bringing the score to 5-4. 

The score would stay fairly close up until Bellarmine led UCA 11-10, and the Sugar Bears would go on a 5-0 run, making it 16-10. Unfortunately for Bellarmine, they couldn’t catch up and lost the fourth set 25-18. 

The Sugar Bears would win the conference game against Bellarmine 3-1. 

Junior setter Caylan Koons said staying calm is the key to winning. 

“Our team does a very good job of staying calm and collected, we know that we can do our thing and we just continue to keep that mindset. When we just do our thing, we come out with a win,” Koons said.

Newberry said the team has done a great job battling and staying consistent over the course of conference play. He gave the team the nickname “the battling Bears.”

“It’s something we can identify with this year, we know what we have and we’ve been very consistent over the last five games, ” Newberry said. “We just need our fans to show up and help us out here in the prince center, and continue to support the Sugar Bears.” 

UCA will face off against Austin Peay in Clarksville Tennessee on Oct. 11 at 6 p.m.