NASHVILLE -  Lipscomb Volleyball began the regular season's final weekend at home with a match against Central Arkansas (8-19, 2-13 ASUN) Thursday night. After winning the first set convincingly, the Bisons fell behind two sets to one but managed to win the fourth and deciding sets for a 3-2 win at home over the Sugar Bears.

Jada DiVita highlighted the Bisons' effort with 21 kills on the night while hitting .405, a kill short of tying her career-high of 22, which she put up earlier this season against UT Martin. Meg Mersman (16), Courtney Jones (13), and Berkley Mischler (12) each reached double-digit kills in the match. Sophia Hudepohl set up the Bisons' attack with 58 assists and 11 digs, her seventh double-double of the year.

As a team offensively, LUV swung at a .318 percent clip and ended with 69 kills, the third most of the season. On the backend, libero Delaney Smith recorded 21 digs, helping the Bisons out dig the Sugar Bears 56-47. The Bisons also controlled the net with nine blocks against the Suger Bears, led by middle blocker Mischler who had four. Lipscomb added five service aces in the win, with none coming from Central Arkansas. 

The Bisons imposed their will in the first set to open the match with a 25-15 win. Lipscomb stayed in system and was able to put balls away at a high rate, ending with 15 kills in the frame compared to seven for the Sugar Bears. They also hit .444 in the frame, led by their outside hitter DiVita, and middle blockers Mischler and Mersman, who each had four kills in the first set.

Set two was more back-and-forth as the Sugar Bears settled into the match and fought hard. Central Arkansas managed to string together some points late to edge the Bisons in set two 25-21. The Sugar Bears were able to put balls away, ending the frame with 15 kills, two more than the Bisons. They also hit .394 in the second, with only two attack errors. 

The Sugar Bears carried that momentum into the third frame, holding the lead the entire way despite a late rally by the Bisons who cut their deficit to as little as two (23-21) down the stretch. Central Arkansas closed the set out to win 25-21 and take a 2-1 lead.  

With their backs against the wall, Lipscomb got back into a rhythm and dominated the fourth period with a final score of 25-15. The Bisons topped their hitting percentage from the first set by hitting .548 in the fourth. They also had an impressive 19 kills showing in the frame. DiVita took over in set, recording eight of her 22 kills on 13 attempts in the period.

The match moved to the deciding 15, where Lipscomb took an early 4-1 lead. The Sugar Bears rallied off three straight to tie things up at 4-all. The Bisons responded with a three-point spurt of their own to take a 7-4 advantage. Two more three-point swings help give the Bisons a 15-10 edge to keep their home winning streak alive. 

With the win, LUV extends their home win streak to 11 and improved to 11-1 on the year in Allen Arena. Overall, the Bisons moved to 18-7, 13-2 in ASUN play. Their overall win total of 18 marks the most wins in a season since the 2018-19 campaign, with one more regular season match and the ASUN Championship on the horizon. The win in five over the Sugar Bears was their seven deciding set victory of the season.

BRANDON ROSENTHAL & DELANEY SMITH POSTGAME:

Up Next:
Lipscomb will take on North Alabama (16-10, 8-6) for their final regular season match of the year tomorrow, Nov. 10. The match will be aired on ESPN+ and start at 6 pm. CT inside Allen Arena. LUV will recognize its five seniors, Meg Mersman, Caroline Stogner, Delaney Smith, Connelly Renfrow, and Sarah Nading prior to the start of the match. For more coverage of Lipscomb Volleyball, follow LUV on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram @lipscombvball.