FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — UT Arlington (2-0, 0-0 UAC) edged out Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (0-2, 0-0 OVC) in a five-set thriller at Barnhill Arena, securing a 3-2 victory with set scores of 22-25, 25-20, 19-25, 29-27, and 15-12. The Mavericks' decisive push in the fourth set, winning 29-27, was pivotal in shifting the momentum to seal the match in the fifth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first set began with SIUE establishing early dominance, taking a swift 7-0 lead. Paige Bernstein's service ace and Sophie Robinson's consecutive kills contributed significantly to this start. The Mavericks responded with a service ace from
Lily Hopkins and a kill by
Hana Aiana, narrowing the gap to 13-8. UTA continued to chip away at SIUE's lead, with
Emilee Sikora and
Camryn McMinn each contributing crucial points to tie the score at 15-15. However, SIUE regained control, capitalizing on errors by UTA to edge ahead. The set concluded with Karli Mann's kill and a block by Vienna Elliott, securing a 25-22 victory for SIUE.
Emilee Sikora opened the second set with consecutive kills, helping the Mavericks establish an early 2-0 lead. SIUE responded with a service ace from Ally Hughes, eventually taking a 7-5 lead following a series of UT Arlington attack errors. However, the Mavericks regained momentum with a service ace and back-to-back points from McMinn, extending their advantage to 17-10.
Sophia Krichev and McMinn combined efforts late in the set, enabling UT Arlington to fend off a late SIUE rally. The set concluded with Aiana's decisive kill, securing a 25-20 win for the Mavericks.
SIUE maintained a strong lead throughout the third set, largely due to consistent offensive contributions from Maddie Determan and Karli Mann. Determan opened the set with a kill, assisted by Bernstein, and continued to score, helping the Courgars to a 4-2 advantage. The Mavericks responded with a kill by Krichev, but SIUE extended its lead through a series of kills by Robinson and Anika Ivester, assisted by Hughes, to make it 10-4. Despite the Mavericks' attempts to close the gap, including a service ace by Krichev and blocks involving
Eliana Collins, SIUE kept its momentum. In the closing plays, Mann delivered decisive kills, securing a 25-19 victory for SIUE in the third set.
In a closely contested fourth set, the Mavericks secured a 29-27 victory over SIUE, highlighted by key plays from
Evyn Snook, who delivered multiple kills, including critical ones at 22-23 and 24-24. SIUE's Kennedy Pike and Robinson kept the scoreline tight with their consistent attacking, while Determan and Ivester contributed to their team's offense. McMinn played a pivotal role for the Mavericks, tallying important kills at 20-22 and 28-27. The set featured a series of service errors and attack errors that kept the score close, but UTA edged out SIUE to maintain its momentum into the final set.
In the decisive fifth set, the Mavericks secured a narrow 15-12 victory over SIUE. The set saw notable performances, including Snook's crucial kills contributing to UTA's lead, with three pivotal points from Snook alone. A service ace by Snook at 12-7 pushed the momentum further in the Mavericks' favor. Despite a series of attack errors that allowed SIUE to close the gap, Aiana clinched the final point with a kill, assisted by
Lucy Tricco, sealing the win for the Mavericks.
Game Notes
-
Evyn Snook was pivotal for the Mavericks, accumulating 14 kills on 34 attempts with a .353 hitting percentage
- She also added 10 digs, two service aces and 16.5 points
- Leading the game in points and attacks,
Camryn McMinn continued to show prowess on the court, totaling 16 kills on 46 attempts, two service aces and 19.5 points.
-
Sophia Krichev totaled 9 kills on 22 attempts, 5 total blocks (two solo) and 14.5 points
-
Erica Dellesky totaled 19 assists and 10 digs with a 1.000 hitting percentage (1 kill on 1 attempt)
-
Samantha Glenn earned 19 digs and 7 assists
UP NEXT
Looking ahead, UTA will close out the tournament weekend, facing Arkansas tonight, Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
--#BuckEm--
FOLLOW THE MAVS
For the latest news on UTA Volleyball, log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Mavs on social media. Follow the Mavericks on X (formally known as Twitter) @UTAMavsVB, on Instagram @UTAMavsVB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/UTAMavsVB.
