CONWAY, Ark. – Despite a match-high 17 kills by Courtney Jones and the team hitting .365 in the match, Lipscomb University volleyball fell in the Atlantic Sun Conference opener to the University of Central Arkansas on Friday night from the Prince Center. 

Final Score: Central Arkansas 3, Lipscomb 0 (25-19, 26-24, 26-24)
Location: Conway, Arkansas (Prince Center)
Records: Lipscomb (4-7, 0-1), Central Arkansas (4-7, 1-0)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Courtney Jones totaled seven of the team's 14 kills in set one, but the Bisons were unable to keep service thanks to nine attack errors in the set. 

After Jones made it a 9-8 score in favor of UCA, the Sugar Bears went on a 6-2 run to lead 15-10 at the media, and that would be enough to win the opener 25-19. 

Set two saw 11 ties and two lead changes. Trailing by as much as 11-5 early, LUV posted an 11-5 run of their own to even the score at 16 points apiece thanks to a Kelsey Schenck service ace and kills by Jones and Ella Durham. 

Lipscomb had small leads of 21-20 and 23-22 late in the set, but Central Arkansas forced set point on a Gabby Tuiaana ace. After a Lipscomb timeout, Jones smashed her third kill in as many points to tie the set at 24 and force lingering death. 

Unfortunately, the Sugar Bears saw a Laci Bohannan kill and a bad set by the Bisons to rally and take set two, 26-24. 

In the third set, the Bisons had an 11-9 lead after a Brooklyn Fuchs kill, but the Sugar Bears went off thanks to back-to-back aces from Caylan Koons to win the next six points and flip the score to 15-11. 

Trailing by 20-17, the Bisons won four of the next five to tie the set at 21 points apiece after kills by Fuchs and Mischler. Later, back-to-back attack errors by UCA, one that led to an assisted block by Schenck and Mischler, tied the set at 21. 

Central Arkansas did rally after a timeout to force match point, 24-22. However, Lipscomb did not go away quietly, as the Bisons saw a Mischler kill and a bad set by the Sugar Bears to even the set at 24. 

Following that, the Bisons sent the ball back to the Sugar Bears on a service error, and an attack error gave the home team the win and sweep. 

QUOTABLE
Hear from Brandon Rosenthal after the match.

 

KEY STATISTICS
As a team, the Bisons totaled 44 kills to the Sugar Bears' 37. 

Courtney Jones led all attackers with 17 kills, swinging a season-best .438 on the night. 

Berkley Mischler committed two attack errors on 13 attempts, finishing with 10 kills and a .615 percentage, a career-best for the senior. 

Sophia Hudepohl assisted on 35 of the team's 44 kills. 

UP NEXT
The Bisons will next head to North Alabama for a Sunday showdown with the Lions in Florence.