Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The SWOSU Volleyball team overcame a two sets to one deficit, forcing their first five-set match of the season on Friday night and defeating Southern Arkansas 3-2 inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
The Bulldogs won the first set 25-18, hitting .379 for the set with five kills from
Carly Zak, including the final two points to put the set away. SWOSU had a late lead in the second set at 20-18, before SAU rallied for seven of the final five points as they won the set, which featured eight ties and four lead changes. The third set was once again closely contested and the Muleriders overcame a late Bulldog lead of 20-16, finishing it off at 25-22 to take the lead in the match.
Southern Arkansas had SWOSU on the ropes late in the fourth set with a 21-18 lead, but this time it was the Bulldogs rallying late. Zak had two late kills and
Blair Dressendorfer had three kills on seven attacks after entering the match during the set and SWOSU won the set on an attack error by the Muleriders, taking a match the distance for the first time this year.
In the deciding fifth set, the teams went back-and-forth with four ties and three lead changes in the early going. The score was last tied at 5-5 as SWOSU took the lead on a service error and didn't look back.
Addie Aman recorded a block of SAU and followed it with a kill that made it 8-5 at the turn, forcing a Mulerider timeout. After the teams exchanged service errors, it was Aman who served out the match with Dressendorfer and
Paige Holt each recording two kills before Aman put the match away with a service ace.
SWOSU hit .226 for the match, holding the Muleriders to a .176 hitting percentage and forcing 26 hitting errors.
Kayla Hebert had a big double-double with 47 assists and a team-high 18 digs while
Kaila Lancaster had 17 digs and eight assists for the Bulldogs. SWOSU was also stronger at the net on Friday with 10 blocks compared to three for the Muleriders.
Zak led the Dawgs offensively with 16 kills and added another double-double with 13 digs, a mark equaled by
Lindsey McCauley.
Kelsi Schmidtberger was second on the team with 12 kills and three blocks, while
Paige Holt had nine kills and three blocks as well.
Jill Green added seven kills while Dressendorfer and Aman each had five.
"Our team really dug in and came together after we let the second and third sets slip away," SWOSU Head Coach
Josh Collins said. "This was a huge win for us, and a huge boost to our confidence. We'll get rested up, regroup and come back tomorrow looking for the same result against Arkansas-Monticello."
There is little preparation time for the Bulldogs, who are right back in action at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center at noon on Saturday to face Arkansas-Monticello.
