ARLINGTON, Texas — UT Arlington lost to Eastern Kentucky 3-0 (18-25, 22-25, 18-25) on Saturday at College Park Center. UTA was held to a .115 hitting percentage while the Colonels hit .188 with 14 total blocks.
Emilee Sikora reached the 500-career point milestone in this afternoon's match, marking a significant accomplishment for the sophomore transfer.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UTA got on the board with a
Megan Dougherty kill and added early kills from
Emilee Sikora and
Evyn Snook, but Eastern Kentucky built a 9-4 lead with Emma Closurdo contributing three kills and a block assist. After an
Evyn Snook kill made it 11-6, EKU. scored the next four points, including a Caitlyn Flees ace and another Emma Closurdo kill, to move ahead 15-6. UT Arlington later cut the margin from 19-10 to 19-13 on an EKU. service error and back-to-back
Evyn Snook kills. Eastern Kentucky pushed the set to 24-16 on an Addison Burke kill, and after UTA added two points, a service error ended the set at 25-18.
UTA answered an early 4-1 deficit by pulling even at 5-5, with
Dixie Nessl and Sikora putting down kills before a Sikora-
Hana Aiana block helped bring the set level. The teams traded points through 13-13, but Eastern Ky. moved ahead 19-15 behind kills from Emilee Hill and
Alexis Bull-Hudson block. UT Arlington cut into the gap with consecutive Sikora kills to make it 20-18 and later got an
Evyn Snook kill and an Eastern Kentucky attack error to close within 23-22. EKU finished the set with kills by Hill and Bull to take it 25-22.
EKU opened the third set with five straight points and later stretched the margin to 10-1 behind kills from Emma Closurdo and a service ace by Audrey Hudson. UTA worked back into the set, getting kills from
Mazi Smith, Nessl,
Hana Aiana and Sikora during a push that cut the deficit to 13-11. After the Mavericks pulled within 15-13 and 16-14, Eastern Kentucky answered with four straight points to move ahead 20-14.
Camryn McMinn had three late kills for UTA, but EKU reached set point at 24-18 and closed the set 25-18 on a kill by Emilee Hill.
Game Notes
- Emilee Sikora led the Mavericks with 13 kills and 14 points.
- Sikora also recorded a team-high 40 attacks.
- Erica Dellesky recorded a team-high 35 assists.
- UTA finished with 36 kills and a .132 hitting percentage.
UP NEXT
UTA heads on the road to face Abilene Christian on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.
--#BuckEm--
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