CONWAY, Ark.—Alexis Lambert and Keegan Nelms recorded double doubles to pace McNeese volleyball here Tuesday night in a five set (18-25, 25-13, 23-25, 25-23, 14-16) Southland Conference loss to Central Arkansas (8-10, 2-3 SLC).
 
"Both teams competed incredibly hard tonight," said head coach Ashleigh Fitzgerald. "Hats off to UCA, they played just a little bit better when it counted. We encourage aggressive serving, and tonight we got a little overamped from time to time from the service line. Our team is 3 or 4 swings away from being 3-2 in the league, we are right there."
 
UCA took the first set and McNeese won the second set to even the match at one set apiece. UCA followed that with a third set 25-23 score to take a 2-1 lead but a 25-23 fourth set win by McNeese forced a fifth set.
 
With the match tied at two sets apiece, UCA opened the third set by scoring the first three points to take the early lead. McNeese would get two kills from Lambert and an error by UCA gave the Cowgirls a 5-4 lead. A UCA kill would tie the set at five apiece before McNeese went on a 5-1 run including two kills by Nelms and one by Ajani Hodges to lead 10-6. UCA responded with a run of its own to take a 13-12 lead. With the set tied at 14, UCA's Madi Bowles gave the Sugar Bears a 15-14 lead then a kill by Amanda Beaton gave UCA the fifth set win and the overall match.  
 
Lambert led McNeese with 17 kills along with 17 digs while Nelms picked up 15 kills and 19 digs.
 
As a team, McNeese ended the match with a .263 hitting percent that included a second set .371 hitting percent. In that set and the fifth set, the Cowgirls only committed two hitting errors.
 
McNeese did give away some points from the service line, committing 15 service errors.
 
On the defensive end, the Cowgirls picked up 66 digs with three players picking up 10 or more. Besides Nelms and Lambert, Angela McGownd was credited with 14 digs.
 
Hodges and Kendall Glueck had a productive night at the net. Hodges recorded a career high eight blocks and Glueck just missed her career high of seven by ending the match with six.
 
McNeese (8-9, 1-4 SLC) will return home Saturday to host Houston Baptist in an 11:30 a.m. match at the H&HP Complex.