MONTICELLO – For the second time this season, the University of Arkansas at Monticello volleyball team defeated defending Gulf South Conference-West Division champion Arkansas Tech with a 3-1 victory Tuesday on Senior Night.
 
Final game scores were 25-20, 18-25, 25-17 and 25-21. With the win, UAM improves to 16-17 overall and 8-3 in the GSC-West, while Tech drops to 23-12 overall and 7-4 in the GSC-West.
 
Fittingly, senior Sara Kindred led the Cotton Blossoms on Senior Night with 14 kills and only committed two errors on 41 attempts for a match-high .293 hitting percentage. She also recorded four digs and two solo blocks.
 
Freshman Amanda Dills also reached double-digits in the win with 11 kills and added three blocks to her totals.
 
A trio of Cotton Blossoms reached double-digits defensively with junior Stephanie Hatten leading the team with 13 digs, while senior Nicole Ferguson and junior Vikki Crisco each recorded 12.
 
UAM’s strongest set of the match was the third stanza, when the team combined to hit .389 and recorded 17 of its 25 points off kills.
 
Tech mirrored those numbers in the second set with a .406 team percentage with 16 kills. The Golden Suns were led by Laura Farney’s match-high 16 kills. Teammate Sarah Von Lienen added 12.
 
The Cotton Blossoms remain in second place in the GSC-West and have already clinched a berth into the GSC Championship Tournament, which will be played in Searcy, Ark. at Harding University on November 13-14. Harding clinched the division title with a 3-1 win at home over Henderson State on Tuesday.
 
The regular season comes to a close this Saturday, November 7 with a trip to Memphis, Tenn. to play Christian Brothers. Opening serve is set for 1 p.m. at Canale Arena.