Led by Jessica Hays with 19 kills, Central Arkansas defeated Sam Houston State 25-23 25-22 25-12 in a Southland Conference volleyball match Saturday afternoon.
Deveney Wells-Gibson led the Bearkats with 11 kills. The victory upped UCA's record to 12-1 for the year while SHSU dropped to 5-8. Both teams stand 1-1 in league action.
Both the first and second sets were tight battles. The first set was tied four times and the second six. Sam Houston trailed 21-20 in the second set but UCA rallied to win four of the finals six points.
The third set was a different story as the Bears totaled 13 kills, jumping out at an 8-1 lead and never looking back.
Central Arkansas totaled 53 points on 45 kills, five aces and three blocks. The Bearkats had 40 points to their credit.
Kendall Cleveland added seven kills for Sam Houston. Alicia Dittrich was in double figures in kills for UCA with 11.
Libero Jamie Haas led the SHSU defense with 13 digs.
