MONTICELLO, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello volleyball team defeated Southern Arkansas University in straight sets on Tuesday and moved into an eighth-place tie with Ouachita Baptist University in the Great American Conference Standings.
 
The Blossoms came into the game on a mission to control their own fate riding a three-game winning streak with four games left on their regular season schedule.
 
The game was all-UAM right from the beginning. Arkansas at Monticello went on an 9-0 run to start the contest and never looked back from there. In that stretch, UAM tallied kills from Zealia Kleitz, Halli Lambert and Kyndall Eddlemon. The Blossoms won the set by 12 points, 25-13. As a team, they combined for a .400 attack percentage.
 
Set two was a little more back-and-forth early, with SAU even taking a one-point lead at 6-5. However, UAM came back firing going on a 4-0 run, and then a 5-0 run to take a 14-7 lead. The Muleriders would battle back, but eventually, UAM won the set, 25-20.
 
To start set three, UAM continued solid play early taking a 9-3 advantage, highlighted by a pair of service aces from Jessica Mahan. SAU did find a way back into the set cutting the deficit to one point at 15-14, but that did not slow down the Blossoms as they took the set, 25-22, and the match victory, 3-0.
 
UAM had a trio of attackers tally eight kills in Leslie Polanco, Kleitz and Eddlemon. Hailey Fike, Halli Lambert and Devyn Simpson added a handful of kills of their own with seven, and five apiece, respectively.
 
Polanco also aided defensively with 11 digs and 4.0 total blocks.
 
Much of the attack was in part from setting by Katie Pearson who tallied 34 assists.
 
UAM had eight total blocks as Kleitz posted two assisted and Simpson had a pair of solos to go along with her.
 
Mahan led the team in digs with 15 and also helped on offense with three service aces and four assists.
 
With the win, UAM improves to 11-15 overall and 6-7 in GAC play. A loss by Ouachita today moved UAM into an eighth-place tie with the Tigers with just three games remaining on UAM's regular season schedule.
 
UP NEXT
The Blossoms will travel to Searcy, Arkansas to play Harding University on Thursday. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.