Conway, AR - The Stephens College volleyball team put together an impressive showing in Conway, Arkansas, picking up two key conference wins on Saturday to strengthen their position at the top of the AMC standings. The Stars opened the day with a straight-set sweep over Central Baptist before closing the afternoon with a four-set victory against Crowley's Ridge. The dominant road trip improved Stephens' record to 17-10 overall and 9-1 in conference play.
Match 1: Stars 3, Mustangs 0
The Stephens College volleyball team opened its weekend road trip in dominant fashion, sweeping Central Baptist 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-21) on Saturday afternoon in Conway, Arkansas. The victory improved the Stars to 16-10 overall and 8-1 in AMC play.
Stephens came out sharp and maintained control throughout the match, outhitting Central Baptist .237 to .126. Amari Branch-Autman led the Stars with a standout performance, finishing with 15 kills on a .750 hitting percentage to go along with two aces and two blocks for a match-high 20 points. Fernanda Izar added 10 kills while hitting .429, and Lena Hunziker posted 11 kills and 13 digs for another strong two-way effort.
Setter Emma Whitson ran the offense with 39 assists, while libero Jatnna Peña-Perez anchored the defense with 15 digs. The win marked another efficient team performance for Stephens, who continued to build momentum in conference play.
Match 2: Stars 3, Pioneers 1
Stephens capped off its trip to Conway with another statement victory, defeating Crowley's Ridge 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-15) to complete the weekend sweep.
After dropping the first set, the Stars responded with confidence and consistency, hitting .333 as a team over the final three sets. Lena Hunziker was dominant at the net, leading the way with 20 kills on a .421 hitting percentage, adding three aces and 10 digs for a complete performance. Amari Branch-Autman continued her strong weekend with 15 kills on a .407 clip, while Fernanda Izar hit .529 with 10 kills and four total blocks.
Setter Emma Whitson delivered another outstanding showing, totaling 46 assists and 12 digs, and Jatnna Peña-Perez once again paced the defense with 18 digs. Stephens closed the match with a season-best .536 hitting percentage in the fourth set to seal the win and wrap up an impressive weekend on the road.
