In light of Halloween weekend, the Sugar Bears volleyball team (17-8, 9-3 ASUN) secured another scary close win, 3-2, against the North Alabama Lions (12-12, 2-10 ASUN) at the Prince Center Oct. 30.

“I didn’t like how we came out, but I’m really impressed by the way we finished,” Coach John Newberry said.   

The first two sets ended in North Alabama wins, 25-20 and 25-21. The Sugar Bears retaliated in the third, fourth and fifth sets. 

The third set, 25-13, switched the narrative for the Sugar Bears. They maintained a lead the entire set after Newberry changed the 5-1 lineup — an offensive system with only one setter — to a 6-2 lineup — an offensive system with two setters opposite of one another. 

“We had to switch up our offensive tactics and make some key changes with our personnel … Both setters played and then we had to switch it up with a little bit of a bigger block with Lilly Taylor in the front row,” Newberry said. 

Taylor, sophomore outside hitter, was one of the UCA players to lead in kills. Taylor had eight kills with an attack percentage of .30%. Taylor made five of her eight kills in the fourth set, 25-17. 

The Sugar Bears and the Lions were going point for point nearly all of the fifth set, 15-11. UCA’s performance was not only a reflection of the overall match but also the Sugar Bears overall season.

“This is what we’ve been doing the whole entire season, so they know that if they stick together through the entire match, then it’s going to be in our favor,” Newberry said.

Sophomore right side Mackenzie Vernon made the match-winning kill in the fifth set and set a career record with 23 kills in the entire game. Vernon had an attack percentage of .277%. 

“She had a massive game today, over 20 plus kills by her today, so it was impressive,” Newberry said.

Alexis Stumbough, senior outside, was also a leader with 24 digs and 10 kills. 

Newberry said the team earned this win not because of specific players but because all of the athletes can each contribute and work together.

“We don’t really have any star athletes; we just have a great team,” Newberry said. “We were able to spread the ball around and everybody did their job.”

This match is not the first win the Sugar Bears have achieved against North Alabama. They faced the Lions Oct. 26 with a sweeping 3-0 win in Florence, Ala. 

The Oct. 30 win against North Alabama secured a spot for the Sugar Bears at the ASUN Volleyball Championship. 

“We just clinched the conference tournament, which [is] a massive deal,” Newberry said. 

UCA sits at second on the current ASUN Conference standings, led only by Liberty University and Kennesaw State University at spot one. Lipscomb University follows behind UCA.

According to asunsport.com, this will be the Sugar Bears first appearance at the championship. The quarterfinals will be Nov. 17, semifinals will be Nov. 18 and the final games will be Nov. 19 at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. 

The Sugar Bears will take on Queens University of Charlotte next at the Prince Center on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m.