Box Score (html)
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The SWOSU Volleyball team had to overcome late deficits in the second and third sets to earn a sweep of Henderson State on Friday night at the Duke Wells Center. The Bulldogs won the match 3-0 (25-19, 29-27, 25-23) for their first conference sweep of the season.
SWOSU controlled the first set, never trailing despite hitting just .043, and took control with a 25-19 set victory on the strength of four kills from
Joey Collins and three by
Shayne Haley. Henderson State put the pressure on in the second set, leading for most of the set, even building a five-point advantage on multiple occasions and they had a chance to end it with two set points at 24-22.
Following a timeout by SWOSU, the Bulldogs forced an error by the Reddies and Haley put down a kill to tie the match at 24-24 and force extra points. SWOSU had a chance to end the set following a
Brandy Mader kill made it 26-25 but HSU would win the next two points to turn the tide. Down 27-26, the Bulldogs forced three straight errors by Henderson's Carli Owens – including an assist block from Haley and
Kiley Brennfoerder at 28-27 – and took the 2-0 lead with a 29-27 set win.
The third set seemed in the hands of the Reddies again as they built a 19-13 lead mid-set and were on the verge of closing it out again with a 22-18 lead. That was when Collins went into closer mode and put away four kills as part of a 7-1 stretch that ended the set 25-23 and the match 3-0. Brennfoerder recorded solo blocks on the final two plays of the match as the Bulldogs survived to earn the sweep.
Collins led the Bulldogs with 17 kills, including eight in the deciding third set.
Carly Zak added 10 kills while Haley had eight for SWOSU.
Kaila Lancaster had 29 digs of SWOSU's 77 digs for the match, the most in school history during a three-set match.
Brandy Mader recorded another double-double with 37 assists and 14 digs while Brennfoerder had a team-best five blocks (two solo, three assist) while Haley and
Taylor VanderWerff had four assist blocks apiece.
SWOSU improves to 5-6 on the year and 3-1 in Great American Conference play heading into tomorrow morning's match across the street in Arkadelphia against Ouachita Baptist. That match will begin at 11 am.
