Oct. 24, 2009
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
ARLINGTON, Texas - After winning the opening two sets, UT Arlington needed a 15-9 victory in the fifth frame to knock off Nicholls 25-17, 25-22, 14-25, 15-25, 15-9 on Saturday afternoon at Texas Hall. Amanda Aguilera led all players with a season-high 16 kills and she notched her third double-double of the season with 13 digs in the Mavs fifth straight home victory.
UT Arlington (9-12, 5-4 SLC) has won three of its last four matches and is now 5-0 at Texas Hall in SLC matches this season while Nicholls (9-14, 3-6 SLC) drops its fourth straight match.
"I knew this was going to be a very tough match for us," UT Arlington head coach Diane Seymour said. "I was happy to see us get out there and win those first two sets, because coming into this match I didn't think we would sweep Nicholls. Now, I was not pleased with our play in the third and fourth sets, but I was very pleased with our play in the fifth set."
Emily Shearin tied a career-high eight blocks and had seven kills, Bianca Sauls recorded seven kills, 15 digs, four blocks and tied a season best eight assists and Raegan Daniel tallied her team-leading ninth double-double (42 assists, 14 digs) and chipped in four blocks for the Mavs.
The Mavericks controlled the match during the opening two frames with a combined .352 hitting percentage (25 kills - 6 errors - 54 attacks) while taking a 2-0 lead in the match.
UTA stretched its lead to as many as eight in the opening set while Shearin dominated the net with five blocks and Tara Frantz and Aguilera each recorded three kills. Nicholls struggled in the first set with a -.053 (11 kills - 13 errors - 38 attacks) percentage, despite Manieka Golden's six kills.
Not much changed in the second set with the Mavs posting a .387 hitting percentage with Aguilera and Sauls notching five kills apiece. UTA did have to make a comeback in the frame as Nicholls led by five points on three occasions, including 8-13, before the Mavericks pulled ahead with an 8-2 run to grab a 16-15 lead.
Nicholls took the third (14-25) and fourth (15-25) sets as UTA recorded 33 errors in the two frames. Driscoll, Shearin and Aguilera each had three kills in the third set while Sauls led all Mavs in the fourth set with five digs.
The Mavs won the match in the fifth set and jumped in front with a 7-1 run after Nicholls took an early 2-0 lead. Frantz had two kill and Shearin put down a winner around four Colonel errors to help give the Mavericks the lead.
Frantz and Aguilera each had three kills on six swings and Daniel led the Mavs with four digs and five assists in the set.
"I think when I got a few kills in that fifth set I was able to get our team going," Aguilera said. "That is what I will try and do to get our team going. It isn't as much vocally with me, it is more with my performance."
UT Arlington will play back-to-back road matches next week against McNeese State (Oct. 30 - 7 p.m.) and Stephen F. Austin (Oct. 31 - 4 p.m.).
MATCH NOTES:
UT Arlington improves to 24-9 all-time against Nicholls with a 14-1 record in matches played in Arlington... The Mavericks have won eight of the last nine matches over the Colonels and four straight in Arlington.
UT Arlington is now 3-1 in five-set matches this season and improves to 17-6 in five-set matches since 2006.
The Mavericks are 5-0 at home in SLC play for the first time since 2006 (started 7-0)... UT Arlington improves to 7-3 at home this season.
UT Arlington out-hit Nicholls, .175-to-.089, giving the Mavericks an 8-0 record (5-0 in SLC play) this season when posting a higher hitting percentage than their opponent.
The Mavericks had 51 kills compared to Nicholls' 48, marking just the fourth match this season (2nd in SLC play) that UTA has had more kills (4-0 in those matches).
It was only the second time this season that UTA didn't have a service ace, with the only other time coming during the season opener against Oral Roberts (8/28).
The Mavericks have out-blocked their opponent in 12 matches this season, improving to 9-3... UTA is 5-2 in conference play when recording more blocks than its opponent.
UTA is now 4-8 when playing on Saturday, which is its most wins on any day of the week this season... The Mavericks were 2-13 (0-7 in SLC play) when playing on Saturday last season.
UT Arlington finished with 13.0 team blocks, marking the seventh match this season with at least 10.0.
Amanda Aguilera's 16 kills tied the most by any Maverick in a five-set match this season (Tara Frantz, 16, vs. Oklahoma - Sept. 12) and equal the second most by a Maverick in any match this year... Aguilera has 13 career double-doubles, all coming in SLC competition... Aguilera has led the Mavericks in kills twice this season and 17 times in her career... Aguilera has recorded a double-figure kill total in three matches this season and 17 times in her career.
Raegan Daniel recorded her 20th career double-double (42 assists, 14 digs) and also picked up her 16th career 40-assist match (sixth of the season)... Daniel has recorded at least 40 assists this season against Oklahoma (40), Arkansas State (46), UTSA (47), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (46), Sam Houston State (40) and Nicholls (42)... Moved into seventh place on UTA all-time career assist list (1,575)... Daniel passed Heidi Christensen (1993-94, 1,564) and now trails former Maverick Emily Nedderman (2005-07, 3,489) by 1,914 assists for sixth place.
Emily Shearin has hit at least .200 in all nine SLC matches and continued that trend hitting .353 (7 kills - 1 error - 17 attacks) on Saturday... Shearin matched a career-high eight blocks, which she has done three times this season and five times in her career... Shearin has led the Mavericks in blocks the last four matches and a team-leading 11 times this season... Shearin has led UTA in blocks 26 times in her two-year career.
Bianca Sauls' 15 digs led the Mavericks... It is her fifth time leading UTA in digs this season... Sauls has posted at least 10 digs in three straight matches and in four of the last five matches... Sauls has 28 career double-figure dig matches.
