Women's Volleyball Scottie Rodgers

No. 4 Little Rock Rolls into Semis with 3-0 Win Over No. 5 UTA in Sun Belt Volleyball Championship Quarterfinal

Box Score | Bracket | Championship Central

ATLANTA – Fourth-seeded Little Rock swept its way into the semifinals for the first time since 2016 with a 3-0 win (25-16, 25-18, 25-21) over fifth-seeded UTA in the second quarterfinal of the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Championship.
 
The Trojans move on to take on No. 1 seed Texas State on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. ET at the GSU Sports Arena.

Senior middle blocker Veronica Marin and freshman outside hitter Laura Jensen each had nine kills to pace Little Rock. Marin also added three blocks to her NCAA Division I leading total of 180. The Trojans got double-digit digs from junior defensive specialist/libero Diana Giordani (15) and sophomore outside hitter Mya Robinson (10) and 20 assists from senior setter Taylor Lindberg.
 
Little Rock  jumped out in front of UTA to start the first set, taking an 8-4 lead that blossomed to a 20-10 advantage. The Mavericks fought back late in the frame but the Trojans closed it out the set 25-16. The second set remained tight until Little Rock reeled off four straight points to take an 18-14 lead. Attack errors cost UTA’s comeback chances down the stretch as errors gave the Trojans their final three points to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Marin's first point in the final set got things off to a 7-3 opening run for Little Rock. UTA would not go down without a fight, finding digs to extend rallies and stay in the match. Little Rock would hold a 14-8 advantage, but the Mavericks’ offense made a 12-6 run to tie the set at 20-20. Three errors and kills from Marin and Robinson would ultimately tip the scale, and the match, in favor of the Trojans.

All remaining matches of the 2018 Sun Belt Volleyball Championship are set for live coverage on ESPN+. Follow the championship action via Twitter (@SunBelt) or live stats available on SunBeltSports.org.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
2018 SUN BELT VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, November 17 - Semifinals
Match 5: No. 6 Arkansas State vs. No. 2 Appalachian State (ESPN+), 2:30 p.m.
Match 6: No. 4 Little Rock vs. No. 1 Texas State (ESPN+), 5:00 p.m.
 
Sunday, November 18 - Final
Match 7: Match 5 Winner vs. Match 6 Winner (ESPN+), 1:00 p.m.
 
All Times are Eastern and Subject to Change