DENVER - The ULM volleyball team struggled offensively
against Denver Sunday and was swept for just the third time this season as it
fell 3-0 (16-25, 14-25, 20-25) in Sun Belt Conference play in Hamilton
Gymnasium.
Samantha Morse led the Warhawks for the second-straight
match in kills after collecting nine for the contest. Blanca Ocana contributed
eight kills and Marcela Urbina was the only ULM player in double-digits in digs
with 10. Zuzana Markova collected a team-best 16 assists and Meghan McCoy had
11.
Faimie Kingsley was the only player to hit double-figures in
kills for the match with 14 while Alyssa Bonelli ended with nine. Julia Cawthra
and Colleen King had match-highs in assists and digs with 35 and 11,
respectively, while Kate Acker and Lyndi Johnson had 10 digs apiece.
ULM (9-9, 3-5 SBC) used two errors and a kill by Alannah Cullum to knot the
score 7-7 after falling back early in the first set before Denver (9-12, 6-3 SBC) answered with
four-straight points to take an 11-7 advantage. A close 11-9 run in favor of
the Pioneers followed to extend their lead 22-16 until two Warhawk attack
errors and a kill by Kingsley ended the first set 25-16.
The Pioneers immediately seized control of the second set
with six kills to fuel a seven-point spree and take an 8-2 lead. The Warhawks utilized
multiple Pioneer attack errors and a three-point streak capped by a Sukach kill
to inch within two points 10-8 before Denver answered with four-straight points
to extend its lead 14-8. ULM managed just two more kills and a service ace for
the remainder of the game as Denver commanded a final 11-6 run to win the set
25-14.
The third set was tied 8-8 when ULM used two kills by Morse
and two attack errors to grab its biggest advantage of the match 12-8. The
Warhawks maintained until the 18-14 mark when Denver took a 5-1 streak to even
the score 19-19. Each team traded points before the Pioneers used five-consecutive
points to close out the match with a 25-20 win.
The Warhawks return to Monroe for two home matches this week
when they take on the top two teams in the Sun Belt, first playing Middle
Tennessee Thursday at 6 p.m. followed by Western Kentucky Saturday at 6 p.m.
