MONROE, La. – Little Rock picked up a pair of 3-0 wins over the ULM volleyball team Friday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
The Trojans won the day's first match, 25-12, 25-8, 25-14. Little Rock had to work a little more for the second match, winning 28-26, 25-22, 25-19.
"After an abysmal showing this morning, we had a team chat," ULM head volleyball coach Charlie Olson said. "How can we continue to stay motivated to compete if we keep losing? What do we have to play for? It's simple. We play for each other. We play for the seniors. The evening match was hands down some of the best volleyball we've played all season."
In the day's first match, Little Rock took control early and rolled to the 3-0 win. The Trojans broke a 4-4 tie in the first set with five of the next six points to lead 9-5. The Warhawks cut the deficit to three at 14-11 after a Trojan attack error. However, Little Rock ripped off the next 10 points to pull away and claim the set, 25-12.
In the second set, Little Rock continued the momentum. The Trojans used a 12-0 run to build the lead to 17-2 before cruising to the set win, 25-8.
In the final set, ULM used a 3-0 run to take a 9-8 lead on a service ace by senior Ina Gosen. The Trojans answered with a 7-1 run to open a 16-10 edge, and never led by less than four the rest of the way in taking the set, 25-14, and the match, 3-0.
Senior Catherine Griffith led ULM with six kills. Freshman Karson Davis had 13 assists. Sophomore Madeline Hogan added 10 digs. ULM hit just .037 for the match, while Little Rock hit .351.
Little Rock opened with a quick 3-0 lead in the second match, but ULM fought back, claiming a 5-4 lead on an attack error. Little Rock rattled off five straight points, but ULM answered with three-in-a-row, including a pair of kills by Griffith, to get within 9-8.
The Trojans continued to try and pull away, building a 14-10 advantage, but ULM responded with five straight points with kills by senior Alix Christie, Gosen and junior Cali Assaley to claim a 15-14 lead. The set remained tight, with neither side leading by more than two points the rest of the way.
ULM surged in front with back-to-back points late in the set thanks to a service error and an attack error to take a 24-23 lead. However, ULM couldn't take advantage of set point, as an attack error kept Little Rock alive. ULM had a second chance at set point after senior Haley Coulter's kill put ULM up 26-25. The Trojans answered with three straight points, including a service ace to close the set with a 28-26 win.
In the second set, ULM had a quick start, grabbing a 6-2 lead off an ace by Gosen. The Warhawks maintained a four-point lead at 12-8 on a kill by Coulter. Little Rock started its fight back, using a 9-3 run to claim a 17-15 lead. ULM had one final surge in the set, scoring four out of five points to pull within 24-22 on a Little Rock error. However, the Trojans converted on their fourth set point attempt to win, 25-22, and go up 2-0 in the match.
In the final set, the Trojans ran out to the quick lead, claiming a 7-3 advantage. ULM cut the gap to two at 8-6 on a kill by Christie, and again at 12-10 on a Little Rock error. Then, the Trojans used a 7-0 run to gain separation to roll to a 25-19 win in the set and a 3-0 win in the match.
"We were competitive, excited, fun and gritty," Olson said of the nightcap. "It was an all-out battle against a scrappy Little Rock team, with great rallies, high energy and good, clean volleyball. The problem was that we made too many errors and Little Rock came away with the win."
Coulter led ULM with 12 kills and 17 digs, while Gosen tallied 10 kills and 14 digs. Davis had a career-high 35 assists and Hogan added 23 digs. ULM hit .106 on the match to .221 for Little Rock.
"As we shift gears towards tomorrow, we will play our last match in Fant-Ewing this crazy fall season," Olson said. "We will leave it all out on the court playing for each other."
ULM closes the regular season with a 1 p.m. match Saturday vs. Little Rock at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Admission is free. A link to live stats is available at ULMWarhawks.com.
