NATCHITOCHES, La. – Southeastern Louisiana fell 3-1 (25-14, 25-16, 19-25, 25-13) at the hands of Central Arkansas in the first match of the 2014 Southland Volleyball Tournament, Friday, at Prather Coliseum.
The loss brings Southeastern's 2014 season (11-18, 8-8 Southland) to an end, but not before enjoying one of its best tours through the conference in more than a decade.
Looking for the first victory over Central Arkansas (19-10, 13-3) in school history, the Lady Lions struggled to generate offense early against the two-time defending tournament champions.
Central Arkansas took the first set 25-14 behind four kills from sophomore outside hitter Evie Singleton and 10 assists from setter Amy South. The Sugar Bears hit .292 in the opening set with 24 total attempts as they held the Lady Lions to a .080 hitting percentage. Southland Libero of the Year Shelbee Berringer recorded four digs in the set, while freshman right-side hitter Megan Nash had three total blocks for Central Arkansas.
The second set proved much of the same as Central Arkansas took a 2-0 lead after winning the set 25-16. Junior outside hitter and Southland Player of the Year Heather Schnars recorded five kills, while Berringer added another four digs for the Sugar Bears. Central Arkansas hit .273 for the set on 33 total attempts. The Lady Lions improved their hitting percentage in the second set (.219) as they made 10 kills in 32 attempts.
Southeastern Louisiana took the third set 25-19, holding Central Arkansas to a .100 hitting percentage. Middle blocker
Veronica Turk, a junior from Pearland, Texas, recorded four kills, while all-conference second-team selection libero
Morgan Todd totaled seven digs for the Lady Lions. Schnars tallied five kills as South dished out 12 more assists for the Sugar Bears.
Central Arkansas took the final set 25-13 as the Sugar Bears held Southeastern Louisiana to a -.172 hitting percentage. All told, Central Arkansas hit .195 on 123 total attempts and 47 kills. The Sugar Bears held the Lady Lions to hitting .071 as Central Arkansas recorded 50 digs and nine total team blocks. Schnars finished with 15 total kills, a hitting percentage of .368 and 12 digs for the Sugar Bears, while Singleton added 12 kills of her own and Berringer made 15 digs.
"Well I think we made a little adjustment and we started a different setter but we also started in a different rotation order and I think that helped us a put the rematch back up the next (set) and that ended up being our strengths, so I think that was a big difference," Southeastern head coach
Jim Smoot said. "We just had a hard time passing. We are missing one of our key passers the past four or five matches and we needed her. They took us out of our offense; but we did not take them out of theirs."
Outside hitter
Tiffany Thomas, a junior from Friendswood, Texas, and outside hitter
Elizabeth Ramee, a senior from Harlingen, Texas, posted eight kills each to lead the Lady Lion offensive attack. Turk and middle blocker
Landry Bullock, a sophomore from Spring, Texas, added seven kills apiece. Junior
Mikayla Shippy (15 assists), who hails from Pueblo West, Colorado, and
Morgan Miller (12 assists), a sophomore from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, split the setting duties. Shippy, Thomas and Turk each served up an ace.
Todd, a junior from Mandeville, Louisiana, tied a match high with 15 digs. Southeastern posted nine total team blocks. Miller and middle blocker
Rachael Bunn, a sophomore from San Juan Capistrano, California, had a hand in five each. Turk assisted on four blocks.
Central Arkansas def. Southeastern La. 25-14, 25-16, 19-25, 25-13
Southeastern La. (11-18, 8-8 SLC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Thomas, Tiffany 8-1-1; Ramee, Elizabeth 8-0-0; Turk, Veronica 7-1-4; Bullock, Landry 7-0-0; Bunn, Rachael 1-0-5; Miller, Morgan 0-0-5; Shippy, Mikayla 0-1-1;
Totals 31-3-9.0. (Assists) - Shippy, Mikayla 15; Miller, Morgan 12.
(Dig leaders) - Todd, Morgan 15; Miller, Morgan 9
Central Arkansas (19-10, 13-3 SLC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Schnars, Heather 15-2-1; Singleton, Evie 12-5-2; Petties, Fulani 9-0-1; Dittrich, Alicia 6-0-2; Nash, Megan 5-5-5; South, Amy 0-2-1; Berringer, Shelbee 0-1-0;
Totals 47-15-9.0. (Assists) - South, Amy 41.
(Dig leaders) - Berringer, Shelbee 15; Schnars, Heather 12
Site: Natchitoches, La. (Prather)
Date: Nov 21, 2014
Attend: 178
Time: 1:36
Referees: David Dufrene, Elaine Crane
