Conway, AR - The Stephens College volleyball team picked up two conference victories on Saturday, October 24, sweeping Central Baptist College and the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) at Reddin Fieldhouse in Conway, Arkansas. The Stars delivered strong offensive performances in both matches, earning back-to-back straight-set victories to improve to 11-16 overall and 9-5 in conference play.
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Match One: Stars 3, Mustangs 0
Stephens opened the day with a 3-0 victory over Central Baptist College (25-19, 25-19, 26-24), using a balanced offensive attack and consistent serving to secure its eighth conference win of the season.
The Stars established control early in the opening set, recording 13 kills while holding Central Baptist to a .027 hitting percentage. Stephens maintained its advantage throughout the set to earn a 25-19 victory.
In the second set, the Stars delivered their strongest offensive performance of the match, recording 18 kills on a .300 hitting percentage. Despite a competitive set that featured eight ties and three lead changes, Stephens pulled away to claim another 25-19 victory and take a 2-0 lead.
Central Baptist challenged the Stars in the third set, but Stephens remained composed in the closing points to secure a 26-24 victory and complete the sweep.
Michalina Oles led the Stars offensively with a match-high 19 kills on an impressive .357 hitting percentage. Anna Bradley followed with 11 kills while hitting .250, and Jocelyn Rios added seven kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
Freshman setter Audrey Dinwiddie directed the Stephens offense with 43 assists and three service aces. Mercedes Brito contributed two service aces, while Sabrina Rodriguez added another.
Defensively, Danika Brase led the Stars with 16 digs, followed by Rodriguez with 14 and Alanis Francelino with 11. Rios also contributed at the net with one solo block and one block assist.
As a team, Stephens finished with 45 kills, 44 assists, 56 digs and six service aces while hitting .221 for the match.
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Match Two: Stars 3, Eutectics 0
The Stars carried their momentum into the second match of the day, earning another 3-0 sweep over UHSP (25-22, 25-23, 25-18) to complete an undefeated conference doubleheader.
Stephens battled through a competitive opening set that featured eight ties and five lead changes. The Stars recorded 11 kills and held UHSP to a .026 hitting percentage, securing a narrow 25-22 victory.
The second set remained closely contested, with both teams exchanging points throughout. Stephens improved its offensive production to 13 kills and a .157 hitting percentage, edging UHSP 25-23 to take a commanding 2-0 advantage.
The Stars delivered their strongest offensive performance in the third set, recording 16 kills on a .225 hitting percentage. Stephens limited UHSP to just eight kills in the final frame, pulling away for a 25-18 victory to complete its second sweep of the day.
Oles once again led the Stephens offense with a match-high 19 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. She also contributed five block assists and nine digs, finishing with a team-high 21.5 points. Rios added six kills and made a significant defensive impact at the net, recording one solo block and seven block assists. Kayla Peckham also contributed six kills, while Brito added five on a .267 hitting percentage.
Dinwiddie continued to direct the offense with 34 assists while adding 12 digs. Francelino contributed three service aces and eight digs, providing a boost from the service line.
Defensively, Rodriguez led the Stars with 14 digs, followed by Brase with 13 and Dinwiddie with 12. Stephens also recorded nine total team blocks, helping limit UHSP to a .056 hitting percentage.
The Stars finished the match with 40 kills, 36 assists, 60 digs and three service aces while hitting .173.
With the two victories, Stephens completed a perfect day in Arkansas, improving its conference record to 9-5 as the Stars continued their push through the final stretch of the regular season.
