ARLINGTON, Texas - Sending the winning streak to six matches in a row, UT Arlington claimed a straight-set win over Belmont on Saturday at College Park Center, putting itself in position to claim the Maverick Invitational title in the tournament finale. 

The Mavericks (6-3) hit .269 on offense, despite not seeing an attacker hit in double figures, while combining to out-block the opponent five to two. UTA will take on former Southland Conference foe Sam Houston State at 6:30 p.m. Both teams are 2-0 in the tournament, the winner claiming the top spot. 

Despite trailing for much of the opening set, Zhanelle Geathers was able to calm the offensive line as her string of kills midway through pushed UTA in front. The Bruins hot attack that finished the set at .359, couldn't keep the ball away from the UTA defense. Madelyn St. Germain was strong at the libero position, getting seven digs with UTA winning it 25-22. 

The Mavs carried the momentum into the second set with Madison Hill combing with Geathers for a pair of early kills to go up by three sending the Bruins to a timeout. Michaela Wright capped off another three-point run with the Bruins calling their final timeout. UTA stretched the lead to double figures with the Bruins being unable to find an answer for an attack that hit .273 in the second, winning it 25-16. 

Belmont made a fight of the third set with the teams going back-and-forth midway through to find themselves tied at 11-11. A brief run by the Mavericks pushed UTA ahead by two, while a timeout from the visitors didn't slow Kylie Jedlicka as her kill began the push to pull away. The Bruins were able to fight off two match points, but the third couldn't be answered on an attack error, finishing 25-22. 

ON THE COURT LEADERS
Madelyn St. Germain picked up a match-high 19 digs, two shy of her total in Friday night's match... Bre Walp finished with three assisted blocks, while Geathers and Wright each had one solo... Alex Janak had 13 assists, just ahead of Kylee Kapp's 12... Jedlicka led the offense with eight kills, hitting .364 on 22 attacks... Hill and Geathers each had seven kills.... Belmont's Alexa Nichols had a match-high 13 kills. 

QUICK NOTES
Sam Houston State topped Grand Canyon 3-0 in the opening match of Saturday... UTA picked up its first win over Belmont, trailing the all-time series 1-2. Belmont topped UTA 3-2 in Nashville last season... The Mavs have dropped just two sets since the opening weekend, earning its fourth sweep of the year... The Mavs are 50-20 all-time against Sam Houston State, the last meeting coming in the 2017 season opener, a 3-2 UTA win. UTA is 53-44 all-time at College Park Center... UTA is 2-0 when hitting above .200, doing so for the first time this season on Friday night. 

Season Tickets On Sale Now
Volleyball tickets for the 2018 UTA season are officially on sale through UTATickets.com and at the UTA College Park Center Box Office! 
 
The Mavs will host 13 total home matches at the gorgeous College Park Center, including a pair of tournaments to open the home slate. UTA will welcome Air Force, Loyola Maryland, Binghamton, Grand Canyon, Belmont and Sam Houston State for tournaments before hosting seven Sun Belt Conference games. All student tickets are free for all athletic home events. Students are asked to scan their UTA Student ID. 
 
Season tickets are available for $50, while single-game tickets can be purchased for $6 and group tickets (10 or more) at $3. Season tickets will go on sale Monday, July 23 at 10 am at UTAtickets.com while single game tickets are expected to go on sale in early August. Fans can also get the Mav Mania All-Sports Pass, which is $99 and includes access to all home athletic sporting events! For more information visit UTAtickets.com or call the College Park Center Box Office from 9-5 on Monday-Friday at 817.272.9595.