Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The largest crowd at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center this season was treated to a thrilling five-set match between SWOSU and Southern Nazarene on Thursday evening. The teams traded wins through four sets, setting the stage for a classic fifth set that went to four extra points before ending in favor of the visitors 19-17.
SNU won the first (25-18) and third (25-16) sets while SWOSU responded by winning the second (25-21) and fourth sets (25-23) to push the match the distance. The Bulldogs scored the opening point of the deciding set before SNU rallied for four straight points and a 4-1 lead. The Crimson Storm maintained that lead and took an 8-5 advantage at the turn.
Joey Collins and
Brandy Mader had kills and SNU committed an attack error, allowing the Bulldogs to tie the match at 8-8 and force a Crimson Storm timeout. After trading points and tying up until 10-10, SWOSU pulled ahead by two, 12-10, following a kill by
Carly Zak and a Mader service ace, forcing another SNU timeout. The Crimson Storm scored the next three points following the timeout to take a 13-12 lead and forcing SWOSU to use a timeout.
Taylor VanderWerff tied the match at 13-13, but SNU came right back with a kill that put them up 14-13, the first of what would be four set points that SWOSU survived. The 21st kill by
Joey Collins tied the match at 14-14 and a trio of blocks that included
Kiley Brennfoerder were used to keep the Dawgs alive, the final one tying the set at 17-17. An attack error by Mader gave SNU their fifth match point, one they would convert when an attack by setter Kaylee Piatt hit the tape and barely crossed the net, falling onto SWOSU's side of the court for the 19-17 win.
Collins led a valiant effort by the Bulldogs with 21 kills on a new single-match school record 68 attack attempts, hitting .162 for the match. Zak and
Shayne Haley each had 11 kills as the Bulldogs finished with 57 kills, compared to 63 by SNU.
Brandy Mader had another double-double with 40 assists and 13 digs while
Kaila Lancaster (23) and
Kenya Williams (22) led the team in digs.
Both teams played stiff defense, with SWOSU out-blocking the Storm 11-10, but SNU's 103-85 advantage in digs made a significant difference as they dug up multiple Bulldog attacks that were near kills. Brennfoerder led the Bulldogs with six blocks (three solo, three assist) while Vanderwerff had five and Collins had four, all assists.
SWOSU falls to 7-12 on the year and 5-7 in Great American Conference action with two conference matches remaining. The Bulldogs are back in action this Saturday, hosting Oklahoma Baptist (12:00 pm) and West Texas A&M (7:00 pm) at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
