DURANT, Okla. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello Volleyball team split its first two matches at the Southeastern Oklahoma Tournament. Arkansas Monticello defeated Union University of Tennessee in five sets in match one, but lost its second match of the day against Cameron University.
 
Both matches were nail-biters each coming down to the final set.
 
Throughout the day, Leslie Polanco, Zealia Kleitz and MarKayla Dickie led UAM's attack.
 
Defensively, Polanco, Katelyn Richbourg, Halli Lambert and Taylor Calhoun each racked up solid numbers between both matches.
 
With the split, UAM improves tot 2-4 to begin the 2019 campaign.
 
MATCH ONE
UAM took the first match over Union in five sets, 3-2. In what turned out to be a back-and-forth game, Arkansas-Monticello battled with the Bulldogs and had to win by two in the final set.
 
UAM took the first set, 25-18, but lost the second, 25-18. The third was no easy task to win either as Union made it tough, but Arkansas-Monticello prevailed, 25-22.
 
The Weevils did have a chance to take the match in the fourth, but lost, 25-17. After an evenly matched contest in the fifth, UAM pulled off the victory, 17-15.
 
Offensively, Polanco led the team with 17 kills, while Dickie and Lambert totaled 10 apiece.
 
Katie Pearson continued her distribution of the ball dishing out 42 assists on the match. She also tallied two kills and eight digs.
 
On defense, UAM as a whole seemed to rack up dig numbers. Polanco led with 30, while Richbourg totaled 29. Elizabeth Harshaw and Lambert posted 15 apiece.
 
At the net, Calhoun and Dickie continued their solid defensive play posting five block assists apiece. Kleitz also managed to help on three blocks as well.
 
MATCH TWO
In the second contest of the day, Cameron won the first two sets, 25-20 and 25-21, but UAM battled back to take sets three (25-17) and four (25-22). Unfortunately, CU bounced back to win the fifth set, 15-9.
 
Polanco continued her stellar attack to start the year managing a match-high 23 kills.
 
Kleitz and Dickie were next on the UAM attack leaderboard with Kleitz recording 12 kills and Dickie posting nine.
 
Handing out those chances was once again, Pearson, who recorded a game-high 48 assists.
 
On defense, Lambert, Richbourg and Polanco remained stout, recording 21, 17 and 16 digs, respectively.
 
Calhoun led the team with three blocks, while Polanco and Kleitz registered one apiece.
 
UP NEXT
Arkansas-Monticello will continue the tournament tomorrow with two more contests. Its first match will be against Colorado State-Pueblo and is scheduled for 11 a.m