ROLLA, Mo. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello volleyball team split its matches to open the 2019 campaign Friday. Arkansas-Monticello defeated Auburn University at Montgomery, 3-1, in the first contest, and fell to the University of Missouri at St. Louis in match two, 3-2.
 
Head Coach Jocelyn Garcia earned her first career win.
 
Markayla Dickie and Leslie Polanco led the Boll Weevils attack. The pair combined for 56 kills between the two contests. Hailey Fike added six kills in game two to that attack. 
 
Jessica Mahan posted solid service numbers with five aces, while Katie Pearson combined for 74 assists in the two matches.

Defensively, Polanco also tallied 36 digs in two games, while Mahan posted 33. Katelyn Richbourg managed 14 digs in the two games, with nine big ones coming in game two. 
 
MATCH ONE
UAM fell in the first set, 25-21, but swept the last three sets to win (29-27, 25-21, 25-22).
 
Dickie, Polanco and Zealia Kleitz tallied 33 kills, while Mahan, Polanco and Lambert combined for eight service aces.
 
Pearson added 40 assists while Mahan totaled two.
 
Defensively, Kleitz led the way with five blocks and Polanco, along with Taylor Calhoun, registered three apiece.
 
MATCH TWO
In match two, the Boll Weevils and the Tritons split the first two sets (25-12, 25-23), and UAM took a 2-1 lead winning the third, 25-21. However, UMSL won the final two sets, 25-5 and 15-6, respectively.
 
Polanco led all attackers in the contest with 17 kills, while Dickie and Fike recorded six apiece.
 
Calhoun and Dickie both added five blocks apiece and Pearson recorded 34 assists.
 
UP NEXT
UAM will conclude its opening weekend with a pair of matches tomorrow. The Boll Weevils will square off with Missouri S&T at 11 a.m. and Arkansas-Fort Smith at 5:30 p.m.