Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – For the second time this season, the SWOSU Volleyball team was facing a four-game slide with a match against Southeastern Oklahoma State looming. And, for the second time this season, the Bulldog pulled out a dramatic, five-set victory to snap the streak and earn a season-sweep of the Savage Storm.
SWOSU dropped the first set 25-23 after holding a late lead at 19-17 but they showed their resilience in overcoming a 14-8 deficit in the second set and scoring seven of the final 11 points in the second for a 25-22 victory. That momentum carried over into the third set as the Bulldogs built a commanding 15-9 lead and didn't give up, putting the set away on a pair of kills by
Joey Collins.
With their backs against the wall, Southeastern took control of the fourth set early and pulled ahead 10-5 before a SWOSU timeout. The Bulldogs got back within three at 10-7 before the Savage Storm made a push and remained in control for the rest of the set, taking it 25-16, and setting the stage for another fifth-set showdown.
In the deciding set, the teams traded points up until three before SWOSU pushed ahead for an 8-4 lead at the turn after a kill by
Carly Zak. Southeastern would score six of the next eight points to tie the match at 10-10, forcing a SWOSU timeout and increasing the drama level in the Pioneer Cellular Event Center. Zak gave SWOSU the lead at 11-10 on a kill and a combo block by
Shayne Haley and
Taylor VanderWerff gave the Bulldogs some breathing room at 12-10.
Southeastern scored on a kill making it 12-11 before SWOSU shut the door with a kill by Collins, a service ace by
Kenya Williams and another strong block at the net by Haley and
Kiley Brennfoerder. SWOSU won the fifth set 15-11 to take the match 3-2.
The overall numbers for the match were very balanced with both teams hitting an identical .140 with 29 attack errors but SWOSU finished with 58 kills, two more than Southeastern. Zak led the Bulldogs with 20 kills and hit .232 for the match while Collins had a double-double with 19 kills and 11 digs.
Both teams also had balanced numbers at the net, with SWOSU recording 12 total team blocks, tying the third-most in a single match in school history. Leading the way was VanderWerff with seven (one solo, six assist), while Brennfoerder and Haley each had five.
Brandy Mader had another strong double-double, finishing with 37 assists and 21 digs to go along with three solo blocks while
Kenya Williams was pressed into action as the libero for the final three sets and recorded a match-high 27 digs.
Kaila Lancaster also had 12 digs as SWOSU finished with 101 for the match.
The win improves the Bulldogs to 6-10 on the year and 4-5 in conference action heading into a matchup with the top team in the Great American Conference, Arkansas Tech, on Friday night at 7 pm in the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
