Breaking down UTA volleyball’s Sun Belt Championship run

The volleyball team’s (18-13, 8-8) run at the Sun Belt Volleyball Championships ended in the semifinal round with a 3-1 loss at the hands of Coastal Carolina University on Saturday.

UTA’s run at Sun Belt

As the No. 7 seed at the conference tournament, the Mavericks took their underdog role by storm. They upset the No. 6-seeded Appalachian State University 3-1 in the first round, then took down the No. 3-seeded University of South Alabama 3-2 in a five-set thriller in the quarterfinals.

Even against Coastal Carolina, UTA put up a fight in the first set and forced a fourth set before being overrun by the Chanticleers.

Maverick Standouts

Sophomore middle blocker Bre Walp was named to the All-Tournament Team, the only Maverick to do so. Walp totaled 11 blocks in tournament play and tallied 32 kills, with at least 0.400% in attack in all three matches.

Senior outside hitter Kylie Jedlicka’s performance against South Alabama was key as the Mavericks moved on in the tournament. Her 24 kills and 21 digs helped UTA defeat the Jaguars and reach their fourth Sun Belt semifinal.

Senior middle blocker Madison Hill and sophomore outside hitter Brooke Townsend were also key in UTA’s attack, posting double digit kills in each of their three matches. Hill ended with 40 kills during tournament play, while Townsend tallied 39 kills.

What’s next for UTA

UTA is awaiting a potential berth at the Women's National Invitational Volleyball Championship. The tournament field of 32 to 40 teams will be announced Dec. 1, according to the tournament’s website.

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sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu