ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The East Central University volleyball team showed resilience Friday night, rallying from a two-set deficit to force a deciding fifth set against Henderson State University before falling in a hard-fought five-set battle, 25-16, 27-25, 21-25, 29-31 and 15-11, to close its Arkansas road trip.
With the loss, the Tigers move to 3-6 in GAC play and look to bounce back at home next week, hosting Arkansas opponents Harding University on Oct. 15 and Arkansas Tech on Oct. 16 inside the Kerr Activities Center.
After dropping the first two sets, the Tigers found their rhythm offensively and battled back to even the match at two sets apiece. ECU carried its momentum into a deciding fifth set, but Henderson State edged ahead late to secure the victory.
Henderson State took control early in the opening set, limiting ECU to 10 kills and building an advantage the Tigers could not overcome. The Reddies closed out the frame, 25-16, to take a 1-0 lead.
The second set proved much more competitive as ECU's offense came alive with 17 kills. The Tigers fended off four straight match points to extend the frame beyond 25 points, but Henderson State managed to edge out a 27-25 win and take a two-set advantage.
Facing a potential sweep, ECU responded in the third set. The Tigers recorded 12 kills while limiting their attack errors to four, finding their rhythm late after trailing 19-16. ECU closed the set on a 9-2 scoring run to secure a 25-21 victory and extend the match.
The Tigers carried that momentum into the fourth set, recording their strongest offensive output of the night with 18 kills. Both teams battled through an extended frame, but ECU came through in the closing points to claim a 31-29 victory, even the match at two sets apiece and force a deciding fifth set.
In the final frame, the teams battled through three ties before Henderson State gained the advantage down the stretch. The Reddies closed on a 5-2 scoring run to take the set 15-11 and secure the match.
ECU finished with 65 kills and a .110 hitting percentage, compared to Henderson State's 58 kills and .132 clip. The Tigers held the advantage in assists (62-57), digs (134-128) and service aces (6-3), while Henderson State controlled the net with 13 blocks to ECU's six.
Addison Iman powered the Tigers' offense with a career-high 27 kills, hitting .317 on 60 attempts.
Kensington White added 11 kills while hitting .242, while
Reagan Hutchinson and
Lana Wright contributed eight kills apiece.
Emily Pena recorded career highs with 53 assists and 26 digs to earn a double-double.
Bryleigh Wallace led ECU defensively with a career-high 27 digs, while
Gabriela Etter also posted a career-high with 24 digs.
Briley Marion chipped in 11 digs.
