The UCA Sugar Bears volleyball team (4-8) swept the Little Rock Trojans (5-8) at the Jack Stephens Center on Sept. 19. 

The Sugar Bears started off the first set with a kill by redshirt sophomore Laci Bohannan, followed by another kill from senior middle blocker Allison Holloway. Later in the set, kills by Bohannan and freshman outside hitter Regan Harp would spark a 5-0 run, making it 12-4 for UCA in the first set.

Little Rock was quick to strike back as the Trojans would go on a 5-0 run of their own, making the score 12-9. The first set was back and forth with both teams scoring multiple points. Eventually, the Trojans took the lead 24-22. After 3 points were scored by Harp, the Sugar Bears took the lead 25-24. In the next play, Bohannan would get a kill, winning the first set for UCA. 

 UCA got the first point of the second set on a kill by senior right-side-hitter Mackenzie Vernon. Little Rock would go on a 3-0 run, bringing the score to 3-1. The Sugar Bears would quickly respond with another 5-0 run, making the score 6-3. The Trojans would strike back, scoring five out of the next six points, putting them on top 8-7. 

The second set score was kept fairly even until the Sugar Bears would score nine out of the next 12 points, making the score 20-15 UCA. The Trojans would strike back again, scoring seven of the next nine points, evening up the score at 22 a piece.

 After two kills in a row by Vernon and a service ace by senior defensive special/libero Shelbi Owens, UCA would hang on to win set two, 25-23. 

With UCA taking the first two sets, Little Rock was on the brink of getting swept. The third set began with the Trojans scoring first on a kill by sophomore outside hitter/right-side hitter Bella Cherry, but the Sugar Bears were quick to strike back with multiple scores by Harp, bringing the score to 11-5 UCA. 

The Trojans would eventually come back with four kills by junior middle blocker A’lanae Margaritha, putting them within 3 points, 15-12.

 This close set would not last long as UCA scored 5 of the next 6 points off two kills by sophomore middle blocker Greyson Button, a kill by Vernon and a kill by Harp. At this point, UCA had a 20-13 lead over the Trojans. 

The Trojans would score the next 2 points on a kill by junior outside hitter Kaila Harris and an attack error by Bohannan, bringing them within five. The Sugar Bears would go on to sweep the Trojans after scoring 5 of the next 6 points. 

UCA hosted the Central Arkansas Invitational volleyball tournament, where they faced off against the North Alabama Lions (6-8) and the Jackson State Tigers (4-7). The Sugar Bears swept both of these games en route to a successful tournament. 

The Sugar Bears’ next matchup is against the North Florida Ospreys (3-10), in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 5:00 p.m..