FORT MYERS, Fla. - After defeating North Florida on Friday inside Alico Arena, Central Arkansas is heading to its first Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) Volleyball Championship Final.
North Florida got out to a quick start in the first set building an early 5-0 lead against the fourth-seeded Sugar Bears. Once the Ospreys' lead grew to 9-1, UCA Head Coach John Newberry called a timeout to slow the UNF momentum. North Florida continued the offensive pressure and forced another timeout with a 16-4 lead on the sccreboard. Central Arkansas came out of the pause in action with three unanswered points before UNF notched its 17th of the set. Despite a strong comeback effort from UCA, the Ospreys would go on to win the first frame, 25-21.
The second set began more evenly than the first with both teams trading points back and forth. North Florida held a three-point lead, which was the largest of the set to that point, after an attack error by UCA. The Ospreys' lead grew to six points at 20-14 following a kill from Mackenzie Piester. After a kill from Ella Chaney, the Sugar Bears cut the UNF lead to 23-20 then a kill from Gabby Tuiaana made it 24-23. Janelly Ceopa put the set away for North Florida and gave her team a 2-0 match lead.
Early in the third set, North Florida doubled UCA on the scoreboard, 8-4, following the sixth kill of the match from Piester. Central Arkansas tied the score at 14 before the Ospreys scored three unanswered to go ahead 17-14. The Sugar Bears answered with a 4-0 scoring run of their own to take a one-point lead and force UNF to call a timeout. Central Arkansas used a series of runs to stay alive and push the match to a fourth set.
The first point of the fourth set was scored by Tuiaana followed by a response from UNF's Kendall Newbold. Neither team could get separation on the scoreboard until UCA jumped ahead 10-5 with a four-point run. Alexis McDaniel helped the Sugar Bears build that lead with a pair of service aces. Central Arkansas kept control and sent the match to a decisive fifth set with a 25-17 win.
Central Arkansas came out strong in the fifth set and built a 6-2 lead before a timeout came from the UNF bench. After UCA was up 11-5, four points in a row from the Ospreys trimmed that lead to three points. North Florida got the deficit down to two points but ultimately the Sugar Bears claimed the set and the match.
UCA is set to clash with third-seeded EKU on Sunday at 1 PM ET for the 2025 tournament crown. This will be the third meeting between the two this season with each team winning on the other's home floor.