ARKADELPHIA, Arkansas — The University of Arkansas at Monticello volleyball team opened the Great American Conference portion of the 2015 schedule with a 3-0 loss to Ouachita Baptist on Tuesday inside the Sturgis Center.

Final game scores were 25-22, 25-14 and 25-21. The Blossoms drop to 3-3 overall, while Ouachita improves to 6-3.

The Tigers led for the entire first set, and only allowed UAM to tie the score once in the second set. Down two sets to none, the Blossoms rallied in a close set that featured 12 tie scores and four lead changes.

Overall for the match, UAM hit .127 with 29 kills and 14 errors on 118 swings. Ouachita hit .243 with 50 kills and 17 errors on 136 attacks.

Junior Kya Standford led the Blossoms with seven kills and a .294 percentage. Junior Carolina Gasparini and sophomore Aubrey Harrison each added six kills in the loss. Sophomore Ja'Kyra Austin came off the bench to give UAM four kills on only eight swings with no errors.

UAM had four players in double-digits defensively. Seniors Lani Kaiwi and Kaila Kikugawa led the team with 12 digs each, followed by senior Sydni Schulz with 11 and Gasparini with 10.

Ouachita was led by Abby Pickett's match-high 22 kills.

The Blossoms are back in action this Friday in Lorman, Mississippi with a tri-match against Stillman College and Alcorn State.