MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The University of Arkansas at Monticello volleyball team earned its first win of the 2026 season Saturday morning, defeating LeMoyne-Owen College in a five-set thriller.
FIRST SET (25-21 UAM, UAM leads 1-0)
The opening set went back-and-forth early before Arkansas-Monticello turned a 9-9 tie into an 11-9 advantage behind a service ace from Allyson Rosa and later stretched the lead to 17-12. LeMoyne-Owen battled back to tie the set at 18-18 and again at 20-20, but UAM responded with four consecutive points. Back-to-back kills from Isabella Garcia and a kill from Summer Stephens helped push the Blossoms ahead 24-20 before a Lady Magician attack error closed the set, 25-21.
SECOND SET (25-22 LOC, match tied 1-1)
LeMoyne-Owen grabbed control early in the second set, using a 5-0 run to begin building a lead of 12-5. Arkansas-Monticello continued to fight back and cut the deficit to 17-14 behind a Sophia Grubbs service ace and a kill from Isabella Garcia. Trailing 23-17 late, Garcia sparked another UAM rally. The Blossoms scored five unanswered points, highlighted by back-to-back Garcia service aces and blocks involving Grubbs and Summer Stephens, to pull within one at 23-22. The Lady Magicians responded with the final two points to take the set, 25-22.
THIRD SET (25-22 LOC, LOC leads 2-1)
The Blossoms came out firing in the third, scoring the first five points of the set. Sophia Grubbs recorded three kills during the opening run as the Blossoms quickly built a 5-0 lead. UAM remained in front through much of the frame, leading 15-11 before LeMoyne-Owen answered with six consecutive points to move ahead 17-15. The Blossoms regained the lead at 20-17 following a service ace and kill from Summer Stephens, but LeMoyne-Owen responded with six straight points of its own to take a 23-20 advantage. Garcia recorded consecutive kills to pull UAM within one at 23-22, but LOC scored the final two points to take the set, 25-22.
FOURTH SET (25-18 UAM, match tied 2-2)
With the match on the line, Arkansas-Monticello jumped ahead 5-1 in the fourth behind kills from Isabella Garcia, Evalyn Dang, and Sophia Grubbs, along with a service ace from Summer Stephens. LeMoyne-Owen battled back to tie the set at 10-10 before the teams traded points through a 14-14 tie. From there, the Blossoms took control, using a 6-1 run, highlighted by kills from Grubbs and Jalen Scroggins and a Grubbs service ace, to build a 20-15 advantage. Allyson Rosa added back-to-back service aces later in the frame before Garcia and Dang provided the final two kills to send the match to a decisive fifth set with a 25-18 victory.
FIFTH SET (15-5 UAM, UAM wins 3-2)
Arkansas-Monticello dominated the decisive fifth set from the opening serve. The Blossoms jumped ahead 6-1 behind kills from Isabella Garcia and Jalen Scroggins, along with a block from Summer Stephens. UAM carried an 8-4 advantage into the side switch before closing the match in commanding fashion. A Sophia Grubbs kill and Shayla Lacamiento service ace highlighted a 5-0 run that pushed the lead to 13-4. Grubbs later added another kill to bring UAM to match point before a LeMoyne-Owen attack error sealed the 15-5 set victory and Arkansas-Monticello's first win of the season.
UAM STAT LEADERS
Kills: Sophia Grubbs (22), Isabella Garcia (18)
Assists: Shayla Lacamiento (22), Ella Cline (16)
Digs: Allyson Rosa (20), Isabella Garcia (17), Sophia Grubbs (11)
Blocks: Summer Stephens (5), Sophia Grubbs (3), Jalen Scroggins (2)
Aces: Allyson Rosa (4), Summer Stephens (3), Jalen Scroggins (2)
NOTES OF INTEREST
- Sophia Grubbs recorded a match-high 22 kills while hitting .254 and adding 11 digs.
- Isabella Garcia finished with 18 kills on a .273 hitting percentage while adding 17 digs.
- Allyson Rosa led the Blossoms with 20 digs and four service aces.
- Shayla Lacamiento recorded a team-high 22 assists, while Ella Cline added 16.
- Arkansas-Monticello recorded a season-high 14 service aces.
UP NEXT
The Blossoms are set to host Arkansas-Fort Smith at home on Tuesday, September 1, for the home opener. The match is set to begin at 6:00 p.m.
Links to both live stream and live stats are available as clickable links on the 2026 UAM Volleyball Schedule at uamsports.com.
How to Follow UAM Volleyball
Interact with the Blossoms on the team's social media accounts! Search UAM Volleyball on Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), and Facebook.
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