MATCH INFORMATION
Score: UA Fort Smith 3, St. Edward's 0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-16)
Records: St. Edward's 5-10, 3-1 HC / UA Fort Smith 8-5, 4-0 HC
Location: Stubblefield Center – Fort Smith, Ark.
SEU TOP PERFORMERS
-Sophomore libero
MORGAN BECKHAM continued her campaign as one of the top defenders in the Heartland Conference with 25 digs.
-Junior hitter
KATIE MARTIN paced the offense with eight kills.
-For the setters, it was
AVALON FRANTZ leading the way yet again with 14 assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-A back-and-forth battle in set one was highlighted by a 5-0 run behind kills from Martin,
TABITHA ELDER, and
MADISON MCCLURG to give SEU a 9-7 lead.
-A kill from
MIKAYLA GRILL gave St. Edward's a 23-22 lead, but the Lions would persevere and claim a 1-0 lead.
-A 12-3 hole for the Hilltoppers in set two was too much to overcome as the home team entered the intermission leading 2-0.
-UA Fort Smith carried its momentum into the final set, taking an 8-0 lead that all but clinched the sweep.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Despite the loss, St. Edward's defense continues to shine as it held the first-place Lions to an attacking percentage of .155. This is the third-straight match the Hilltoppers have held their opponent under .200 hitting.
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MORGAN BECKHAM is now defending at a rate of 6.2 digs per-set which ranks top-10 nationally.
-The Hilltoppers and Lions were the remaining undefeated teams in conference play. St. Edward's is now just one game out of first in a tie with Lubbock Christian.
QUOTE FROM HEAD COACH MARY DEJUTE
"The first set was a really tough battle, and really the turning point of the match. We had a chance to close it out and did not take advantage. After that, the tide of the whole contest really shifted."
UP NEXT
After playing the first 15 matches of the season on the road, Coach DeJute and the Hilltoppers open their home slate on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. against Lubbock Christian in the Recreation and Convocation Center. Live stats and video will also be available at GoHilltoppers.com.
