OWENSBORO, Ky. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Volleyball picked up a pair of wins Friday at the Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational as the Lions increased their winning streak to four matches.
The Lions swept host Kentucky Wesleyan to start the day then finished up with a five-set win over McKendree. UAFS will take on Davis & Elkins at 9 a.m. Saturday followed by Illinois-Springfield at 2 p.m. on day two of the tournament.
UAFS 3, Kentucky Wesleyan 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-16)
The duo of Lydia Pitts and Mayli Whetter continued their strong starts to the season as the pair each recorded a double-double in the win over the Panthers.
Pitts tallied 14 kills and a team-high 16 digs while Whetter had 29 assists and 14 digs. Pitts hit .429 for the match. Codi Jackson added 10 kills for the Lions while Abbey Jackson totaled 12 digs.
UAFS started the match off up 6-3 in the opening set as it never trailed, leading by as many as seven in the frame.
The Panthers then led 16-15 in set two before the Lions embarked on a 6-1 run for a 21-17 advantage. The Lions then won the set on a service error for the second straight time.
The Lions raced out to an early lead in set three, scoring the first five points of the set. But the Panthers responded to tie the set at 10-10 before the Lions later used another 5-0 run for a 19-13 lead. UAFS closed the set on a 6-2 run.
UAFS hit .266 for the match.
UAFS 3, McKendree 2 (12-25, 25-17, 25-22, 17-25, 15-12)
The Lions responded after a first set setback to win their first five-set match of the year.
Leading 15-13 in set two, the Lions broke off an 8-0 run with three aces from libero Bree Pardy as the Lions evened the match. Pardy had four of the team's 10 aces. Both teams hit over .300 in set two, but it was the Lions closing the set strong after a 20-20 tie for a 2-1 lead.
UAFS was held to a negative attack percentage in set four as McKendree forced a fifth set.
After the Bearcats took an early lead in the fifth set, the Lions scored three straight points for a 5-3 lead. The Lions never relinquished that lead and held on for their fourth straight win.
Pitts posted yet another stellar performance, hitting .314 with 15 kills and 13 digs. Whetter had 34 assists and 15 digs while both Aspen Olson and Codi Jackson contributed eight kills each. Breanna Smith added seven kills.
Defensively, Abbey Jackson had a team-high 16 digs with Ella Shelby collecting 11.
