Senior libero Samantha Glenn digs the ball during a game against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 1 at College Park Center. Glenn finished with 20 digs.
For about a decade, UTA (7-8) and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (7-8) were members of the Sun Belt Conference at the same time. That changed in 2022, when both schools left the conference, splitting ways for the Western Athletic and Ohio Valley conferences, respectively.
However, with the creation of the United Athletic Conference, the schools are once again conference-mates, and in their first UAC match against each other, Little Rock swept UTA despite three close sets.
The Mavericks came into the matchup off their first UAC win, beating the University of West Georgia in five sets. The Trojans entered Arlington on a five-game losing streak.
Senior libero Lily Hopkins receives the ball during a game against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 1 at College Park Center. Hopkins finished the game with five digs.
UTA finished the three-set match with 21 attacking errors, a number head coach Tania Schatow said she said caused the loss.
“We don’t play clean enough, and then we make too many errors, and then it’s just really hard to win,” Schatow said. “If we would just clean up our side, it wouldn’t be so hard.”
The first set started close, then a 7-1 Little Rock run shifted the game’s momentum entirely away from UTA. The Trojans kept their lead for the rest of the set, finishing with a 3-0 run to win 25-19 and take the 1-0 lead.
Junior setter Erica Dellesky sets the ball during a game against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 1 at College Park Center. Dellesky finished the game with 27 assists.
UTA took its first set lead of the night in the second set, going up 4-3. Neither team took a significant lead until Little Rock went on a 7-1 run capped by an ace to finish another 25-19 set victory, putting the game in sweep territory.
Senior outside hitter Evyn Snook led the Mavericks in kills in the game, making 13 on 35 attempts.
“Overall, it was a good performance,” Snook said. “There’s always more that can be done, especially reflecting on a loss.”
Senior outside hitter Evyn Snook spikes the ball over the defenders during a game against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 1 at College Park Center. Snook led the team with 13 kills.
The teams were in lockstep for the first half of the third set, with the frame tied 12 times before the 15-point timeout. UTA tied the set at 17, the last time they came that close to getting the set win. The Mavericks kept it close, but fell to the Trojans 25-22.
Senior libero Samantha Glenn was honored before the game for making her 1,000th career dig last month. She said the loss was due to team injury and fatigue.
“We have our other setter out, our other middle out, and then everyone for the past couple of weeks, we’ve been just under the weather,” Glenn said. “In practice, we’re working hard. We just need to transfer it into the game.”
She added 20 to her dig total during the game against Little Rock, leading both teams.
The UTA volleyball team prepares to play against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 1 at College Park Center. The team lost in 3 sets.
“Some of our girls at times play like there’s a lot of pressure, and there just isn’t. Just go out there and just enjoy it,” Schatow said. “We need to play cleaner volleyball.”
@TyRoland06