Nov. 22, 2003

The Arkansas Lady Razorbacks advanced to the 2003 SEC Volleyball Tournament championship with a 3-0 (30-16, 30-21, 30-24) win over Alabama Saturday at the Volleyball Competition Facility on the campus of the University of South Carolina.

The Lady ‘Backs had two players with double-digit kills, with each of Sara Kincaid and Kele Brewer contributing 10. Kincaid also led the team in total blocks with five. Roberta Tarnauskaite tallied 34 assists and Chelsey Warmack notched team-high nine digs.

Arkansas opened game one with an early lead and a balanced attack at the net from middle blockers Kincaid and Jennifer Haaser, and outside hitter Brewer. The Lady ‘Backs pulled out to a 13-point lead at 22-9 with a serve ace from Kincaid, and the lead would extend even further with late production from Denitza Koleva, who added two kills and two aces. One final kill from Kincaid decided the game, and it’s biggest spread, 30-16.

Again, Arkansas went up early in the second game, with another all-star performance from Kincaid. Alabama held the lead just once, at 3-2, before the Lady ‘Backs ran away with the 30-21 win, as Kincaid blasted Arkansas’ final kill and leaving her squad just one game away from the tournament championship.

Determined not to let the match slip away, Alabama fought back in game three as it built a healthy lead at the start. But the Crimson Tide stalled at 18 points as Arkansas drilled 11 unanswered points to claim a 25-18 advantage. An offensive battle ensued, but the Tide could come up with only six more points before a Haaser kill and a Tarnauskaite serve ace clinched the game and the match for Arkansas.