BEAUMONT, Texas - Staving off match point six times, Lamar University's volleyball team almost forced a fourth set twice against the University of Central Arkansas. The Cards took the opening set to extras and flirted with a miraculous comeback in the pivotal third set before ultimately falling to the Sugar Bears in three sets on Thursday.

Bre'Ala Box led the offense with nine kills on a .389 hitting percentage, and Kyla Rogers had 31 assists as the sole setter of the match, her third consecutive match of at least 30 assists. Erin Pequeno was the only Cardinal with double-digit digs (10).

UCA opened the match on a blistering pace, outscoring LU 6-1. Lamar answered with a run of its own, outscoring the Sugar Bears 9-1 to take a 10-7 lead. Central Arkansas and Big Red traded runs for the rest of the set - UCA would lead 19-15 only for Lamar to tie the set at 19-19. UCA had two opportunities to end the game at 24-22 and 24-23, but both times the Cards staved off elimination and tied the set at 24-24. A service error and an attack error proved the Cards' undoing though, and UCA escaped with a 26-24 win.

Big runs by the Bears and the Cards were again the theme in the second game, but UCA's early run gave the Sugar Bears too much breathing room. UCA needed two set points to take the second game 25-21.

Momentum largely belonged to Central Arkansas in the final set, and the Sugar Bears jumped out to a 24-11 lead, threatening to end the match. The Redbirds weren't quite done though, refusing to end the evening that early. A kill by Box, an ace from Dannisha House, and three unforced Sugar Bear errors kept Lamar alive for the next five points, but it proved too much of a mountain to climb. The Bears ended the set and the match with a kill, taking the set 25-16 and the match 3-0.

Lamar returns to action on Saturday in the McDonald Gym against Stephen F. Austin. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.