UT Arlington Advances with Four Set Win

SAN MARCOS, Texas – No. 4 seed UT Arlington dropped the first set to an energetic No. 5 Appalachian State team, but the Mavericks rebounded to win the next three sets and advance to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Volleyball Championship on Thursday at Strahan Coliseum.

UT Arlington jumped out to an early lead in the first set as Qiana Canete broke a 2-2 tie with a kill which started a three point rally. The lead would extend to 7-3 as Taylor Gross had a kill for UT Arlington. However, Appalachian State stormed back with five straight points including two kills by Jess Keller. Emily Corrigan broke a tie with one of her five first set kills as the Mountaineers scored four straight points to lead 14-10. The two teams traded points, until Hailey Kerr put the Mountaineers up 20-15. Appalachian State then scored five of the next six points, including two of Keller’s set-high six kills, to claim the first set 25-16.

The Mountaineers carried that momentum into the early part of the second set as they scored five of the first six points, led by two kills from Lauren Gray. The teams split the next 14 points to bring the score to 12-8. Briana Sharratt and Taylor Gross blocked a Corrigan shot from the left side highlighting an 8-0 spurt by the Mavericks which gave them a 16 -12 lead. The Mavericks were able to hold that advantage, winning the set 25-20. Sharratt had one solo block and three block assists in the second set while Gross had four kills and three block assists to even the contest at one set apiece.

The Mavericks jumped out to a lead in the third set as they scored three of the first four points on kills by Hannah Baptiste and Sharratt. UT Arlington’s lead got as large as six, when Hannah Baptiste slammed home a kill to take a 12-6 lead. After trading the next 12 points, Appalachian State scored two straight as Keller recorded a kill. With the score 22-17, Lauren Gray recorded a kill and Olivia Reed served up an ace as part of a 4-1 run by the Mountaineers. However, two straight block assists by UTA’s Gross, one with Sharratt and one with Ashley Bennett, ended the set.

Appalachian State started strong in the fourth set, staking themselves to an 11-3 lead thanks in part to a Paige Brown ace and two kills apiece from Hailey Kerr and Jess Keller. The Mavericks were not able to get within six until another Sharratt and Gross block brought the score to 17-12 and forced a Mountaineer timeout. That didn’t quell the Maverick momentum as they scored seven of the next nine points to tie the game at 19. Keller recorded a kill to give the Mountaineers the lead, but the Mavericks rattled off five straight points, three of which came on Canete kills. The match ended two points later as Ashley Bennett smashed home the game winning kill.

Koch finished with 12 kills to lead the Mavericks. Gross had 10 kills, six digs, and six block assists while hitting .320 for the game. Sharratt recorded one solo block and seven block assists to go along with seven kills. Canete had nine kills and 21 digs which tied her with Caitlyn Cooney for team high honors. Amanda Welsh and Cassidy Wheeler each finished with 18 assists.

Keller led the Mountaineers with 19 kills while Corrigan finished with 17 kills and two aces. Brown finished with 45 assists, while Kati Stammen had a team best 19 digs. Kerr tallied five block assists.

The Mavericks advance to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Championship where they will take on No. 1 UALR on Friday, November 28 at 4 p.m. UALR won the opener of the tournament 3-0 over No. 8 South Alabama on Thursday.