Oct. 6, 2000
JONESBORO, Ark. - The Western Kentucky University volleyball team emphatically staked its claim to the top spot in the Sun Belt Conference, defeating the defending league co-champion Arkansas State, 3-1 (16-14, 15-11, 9-15, 15-1) Friday night at the Convocation Center. The Lady Toppers have now won seven straight matches and pick up just their second win in Jonesboro in 14 lifetime visits.
Junior left-side hitter Tara Thomas (Louisville, Ky./Assumption HS) sparked the Western attack with match-highs of 25 kills and 21 digs, posting her second 20-20 match of the season. She also becomes the first Lady Topper since Karrie Donahue in 1996 to record more than one 20-20 contest in a year. Junior middle hitter Jessica Willard (Louisville, Ky./Assumption HS) added 16 kills, 11 in the final two games, and senior defensive specialist Beaven Hill (Louisville, Ky./Assumption HS) contributed a season-high 18 digs for Western.
Game one a razor-thin affair with nine ties and six lead changes in the 42-minute period. WKU drew first blood and jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Arkansas State responded with three straight points to take a 4-3 edge. Following a pair of Western points, ASU mounted a 6-0 run to open up a comfortable 10-5 lead. But as quickly as the Lady Indians pulled clear, the Lady Toppers reeled them back in, tallying six markers of their own to seize an 11-10 lead. Arkansas State scored twice to regain a one-point lead, which it held all the way to game point at 14-13. Western then showed its mettle, fighting off the game-clinching point and counterpunching with three straight markers, winning the marathon frame on its second try.
The Lady Toppers carried their solid play into game two. Trailing 4-2 early in the stanza, WKU strung together nine unanswered points to move ahead by an 11-4 count. This time, Arkansas State was the team which put together an extended rally, scoring seven of the next eight markers to pull within 12-11. Then, Western got a critical sideout and capitalized by logging three straight points to close out the game and take a two-game lead in the match.
ASU (11-6, 3-2) came out inspired following the intermission, tallying the first five points in the third game. After the Lady Toppers closed the deficit to 5-4, the Lady Indians pieced together a 6-0 run and never let WKU get closer than four points, notching eight team blocks en route to a 15-9 game three win.
But, just when it seemed the Lady Toppers were losing their grip on the contest, they tightened it with a vengeance in game four. Western ripped off eight consecutive points to begin the period and never let up, rolling to a 15-1 game win and its fifth straight Sun Belt victory.
Western Kentucky (16-3, 5-0) continues its swing through the state of Arkansas Saturday at 7 p.m. (CDT) when it takes on defending Sun Belt co-champion Arkansas-Little Rock.
-- WKU --
