After splitting last weekend with Little Rock, Arkansas State took care of business against the Sun Belt’s bottom ranked team ULM this week, winning all three matches.

MATCH ONE: A-STATE def. ULM, 3-0 (26-24, 25-14, 25-19)

The first match, which took place last night, saw ULM go toe-to-toe with A-State in the first set, before the Red Wolves eventually won 26-24 in extra points. A-State used that momentum to dominate in the second set, winning that one 25-14. ULM tightened up a bit in the following set, but still were no match for the Red Wolves as the hosts took the third set 25-19, and earning their first sweep of the season.

Junior right side hitter Josie Stanford led the offense for the second straight game with 11 kills and four blocks, while the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week Kendahl Davenport lived up to that title by scoring five blocks. Junior Lauren Musante got the nod to start at the setter position and would start every game against the visitors from Monroe; she racked up 27 assists.

MATCH TWO: A-STATE def. ULM, 3-1 (25-11, 22-25, 25-18, 26-24)

An early morning matchup ended up being the best go at it that the Warhawks had. It didn’t seem that way early on however, with A-State picking up where they left off on Thursday, handing ULM a decisive 25-11 result in the first set. The Warhawks would battle back however, and finally were able to cash in on one of the few sets against the Red Wolves where they hanged close, winning 25-22 and tying things up at one set apiece. A-State would go on to win the third set 25-18, and once again defeated the Warhawks 26-24 in extra points to win the match 3-1 and secure the weekend in their favor.

Senior Paulina Sobolewska was the lion’s share holder on the box score this go around, notching 13 kills and four blocks to lead the Red Wolves. Musante wasn’t as effective in setting as she was in the first match, but still earned a respectable 25 assists over four sets. Redshirt junior libero Tatum Ticknor and senior outside hitter Peyton Uhlenhake led the defensive effort, receiving 17 and 13 digs respectively.

MATCH THREE: A-STATE def. ULM, 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-8)

When it came to the final match of the three-game series, it seemed ULM ran completely out of steam, as the Red Wolves never once looked uncomfortable. The Warhawks hit an abysmal -.117 percentage, while A-State were greatly effective in contrast, hitting .245. The Red Wolves dominated every category, including kills (34-17), service aces (9-0) and blocks (7-2).

ULM’s woes were clear. It was never certain whether the Warhawks would have their talent rise to create scoring opportunities or keep the ball alive like A-State, or if they would shrink and look amateur, failing to return easy serves and even letting Uhlenhake score on what was a freeball. ULM fall to 1-10 overall in 2020 after the three losses, and still are left searching for their first conference victory after now being turned away by Louisiana, Texas State and Arkansas State.

Meanwhile for the Red Wolves, they got the job done. They also reinforced the fact that any match, any player can show up and lead the team, as senior outside hitter Madison Brown led the third match with 11 kills. Even though their two stars in Macey Putt and Timber Terrell are out due to injury, A-State may well be fine. However, it’s unclear how this team without its stars will fare against higher quality competition like Texas State and Louisiana.

Regardless, it was a weekend full of victories for the Red Wolves, as they improve to 4-1 on the season and stay close in the race for the Sun Belt West division’s crown. A-State will face its first road test next weekend in three matches against UT-Arlington, a team picked ahead of the Red Wolves in the pre-season polls.

Categories: Sports