Oct. 29, 2011

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ARLINGTON, Tex. - Tara Frantz's 22 kills on Senior Day led UT Arlington to a 3-1 win over Stephen F. Austin on Saturday at Texas Hall.

The Mavericks (10-16, 6-6) bounced back from a slow first set to hit .285 for the match on their way to an 18-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22 victory in the final match at Texas Hall.

"I definitely think all five seniors played well and we played well as a whole," UT Arlington coach Diane Seymour said. "I think it was important to send the seniors out on a good note. It was also important for the younger players to play well so they could feel like they helped send the seniors out strong."

Frantz hit .348 in her second career 20-kill match.

She certainly was not the only senior to make key contributions Saturday.

Alicia Shaffer notched 31 digs on her pursuit toward the career dig mark at UT Arlington. She is now just 27 digs shy of setting the program record.

Amanda Aguilera also turned in a productive match, notching her fourth consecutive double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs.

Emily Shearin had seven kills and three blocks. She also turned in a strong defensive sequence in the fourth set when she had two digs while positioned in the middle of the back row. That sequence drew a big reaction from Seymour after the Mavericks won the point.

Eld-hah Kaswatuka turned in 10 digs and added five kills.

Freshman setter Amanda Welsh dished out 47 assists and became the first player to record five aces in a match since Amanda Aguilera in 2008.

Charae Grosser added seven kills.

Seymour said the best sign to come out of Saturday's match was the team's repeated ability to come back from adversity early in matches.

"I think the biggest thing we saw during this homestand was the ability to fight back," Seymour said. "Our confidence is taking a turn in the right direction. We have now proved to ourselves that we can come back. All these battles are going to pay dividends down the road when we need to draw on these experiences."

With the win, UT Arlington put itself in a strong position for the Southland Conference Tournament with four road matches remaining on its schedule.

For Stephen F. Austin, Taylor Gross came off the bench to lead the offense with 14 kills. Madison Hanlan added 15 digs.

UT Arlington plays again Thursday night when it travels to Southeastern Louisiana for a 7 p.m. match.