NATCHITOCHES – After a slow start Thursday night, the Northwestern State volleyball team found itself in position to successfully defend its home court
 
However, visiting Central Arkansas was able to string together long enough runs in the third and fourth sets to walk away with a 3-1 (25-14, 21-25, 25-18, 25-21) Southland Conference victory at Prather Coliseum.
 
"I thought the second set was what I expected for the majority of the match," fourth-year head coach Sean Kiracofe said. "Not that It was going to be easy in any way, because they are extremely talented and have shown that this year and last year. I thought we had great matchups, and if we played consistently and efficiently, we would be able to get a lead and maintain it, and they would have trouble scoring in bunches."
 
After dropping the first set by double digits, Northwestern State (6-9, 2-3) responded with its best offensive set of the match, hitting .250 and delivering six of its eight service aces for the match.
 
Reagan Rogers had four aces in the second set, including three straight that erased an early 5-2 lead for Central Arkansas (14-4, 4-1).  Those aces spurred a 7-0 run for NSU after Central Arkansas scored the first five points of the set.
 
The remainder of the second set typified the majority of the match with one team answering the other's run with one of its own.
 
Central Arkansas trailed 19-14 on Rogers' final ace of the set before launching a 6-1 run that tied the set at 20. Sparked by a pair of Rogers kills, the Lady Demons closed the set by scoring five of the final six points with Madeline Drake (six block assists) and Kourtney Seaton combining on the clinching block.
 
The Lady Demons were unable to build on the momentum in the third set, unable to establish a lead as the Sugar Bears methodically pulled away after was within one point at 8-7.
 
Northwestern State responded with a strong start to the fourth set, building an 8-2 lead as Channing Burleson served up a 4-0 run that included kills from Drake and Darria Williams and a block by Drake and Hannah Brister.
 
NSU led 12-7 before Central Arkansas scored seven of the next eight points to take a 14-13 lead. The next run was the Lady Demons' as NSU scored four of the next five and five of the next seven to net an 18-16 lead.
 
Back-to-back NSU errors allowed the Sugar Bears to pull even at 19 before the teams traded the next four points.
 
From there, Abbie Harry delivered consecutive kills, part of a five-kill set off the bench, to give UCA a lead it would not relinquish.
 
"At times, we didn't take of the ball," Kiracofe said. "We made some dumb errors, or not that we were making bad plays on the ball, we couldn't make the ball better. Each time we touched it, it wasn't what the next person thought it would be. You give UCA an easy roll shot or a free ball, they're going to put it away. It's that simple."
 
Rogers paced Northwestern State with 16 digs and 15 kills, including seven in the final set, while Brister added 10. Williams had seven kills on 19 attempts, hitting .263 in the process. Reigning Southland Conference Player of the Year Samantha Anderson knocked down 15 kills while Haley Tippett added 14 for UCA, which got a match-high 26 digs from libero Emily Doss.
 
Northwestern State continues its four-match homestand Saturday when it hosts Stephen F. Austin. First serve is at 11 a.m. as NSU hosts its Volleyball Reunion Weekend.