Paul Smith
Sports Information Director

   AUSTIN, Texas --- The University of Arkansas at Monticello Cotton Blossoms (4-4) dropped a pair of matches on the final day of the St. Edward’s University Hilltopper Classic, falling 3-2 to Nova Southeastern in the day’s opener and dropping a 3-0 decision to St. Edward’s in the tournament finale.

   The Blossoms dropped the opening match 30-27 to Nova Southeastern, but rallied to take a 2-1 lead after 30-27 and 30-28 wins in games two and three. Nova tied the match with a 30-28 victory in the fourth game, and then won a hotly-contested game five 16-14.

   Taura Rush, junior, led all players with 24 kills, while Kameshia Melton, senior, added 21 and MacKenzie Willis, junior, added 12. Maegan Martin, junior, dished out 59 assists and led UAM with 20 digs. Rush added 18, and Willis, Nicole Ferguson, sophomore, and Stephanie Hatten, freshman, all contributed 15 digs.

   In the day’s finale, the Blossoms were swept 30-26, 30-21, and 30-22 by tournament host St. Edward’s. Melton led UAM with 11 kills, while Martin dished out 24 assists. Hatten added 12 digs to lead the Cotton Blossoms.

   The Cotton Blossoms will returned to action on Friday, Sept. 7, as they traveled to Denton, Texas for the Texas Woman’s University Classic. The tournament’s opening game against Southwestern Oklahoma was scheduled for 11 a.m.

BLOSOMS SALVAGE SPLIT ON DAY ONE OF HILLTOPPER CLASSIC

8/31/07

   The University of Arkansas at Monticello Cotton Blossoms (4-2) salvaged a first-day split at the Hilltopper Classic hosted by St. Edward’s University on Friday, falling 3-0 to Northwest Missouri State before picking up a 3-1 win over Southwestern Oklahoma in the day’s finale.

   In the opener, the Blossoms started slowly, dropping the first two games 30-18 and 30-21. UAM rallied but ultimately fell short in the third game, falling 30-28. Taura Rush, junior, led UAM with 14 kills, while Maegan Martin, junior, dished out 32 assists and added ten digs. The Bearcats out-hit UAM .333 to .147 for the match, and doled out eleven service aces.

   The Blossoms closed the day with a stronger effort against Southwestern Oklahoma, topping the Bulldogs 30-24 and 30-27 to take a 2-0 lead before SWOSU rallied to take a 30-20 decision in game three. UAM closed out the match with a 30-26 victory in the fourth game.

   Kameshia Melton, senior,  led the way for UAM with a match-high 20 kills, while Rush added 16. Martin dished out 48 assists, and Stephanie Hatten, freshman, led all players with 25 digs. Rush added 19 digs, Martin added 16, and MacKenzie Willis, junior, added 11 digs in the winning effort.