Box Score (html)
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – SWOSU Volleyball won the first set over Southeastern 25-23, but the upstart Savage Storm rallied to win the next three sets to defeat the Bulldogs 3-1 on Friday night and advance in the Great American Conference Tournament.
The loss ends the Bulldogs season at 14-17, eliminates SWOSU from the GAC Tournament and snaps a four-match winning streak by the Dawgs at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs.
SWOSU hit .278 with 13 kills in the opening set, getting seven from
Carly Zak, and won the set 25-23 following an attack error by Southeastern. The Bulldogs played from behind in each of the next three sets, but they rallied to tie the second set at 24-all before back-to-back kills from Southeastern knotted the match with a 26-24 win.
The third set was controlled entirely by Southeastern, who led wire-to-wire and ran away for a 25-15 win to take a 2-1 lead and move to the brink of victory. The fourth set was tied at 16-all following a service error by Southeastern, but the Savage Storm won the next three points and pulled ahead 20-17 before SWOSU called a timeout. The Dawgs got within two at 21-19, but the momentum swayed back to Southeastern as the Storm scored the final four points to close out the set and match.
Carly Zak put down 18 kills with nine digs and four blocks in the final match of her historic four-year career as a Bulldog. The Wylie, Texas, native exhausts her eligibility, but leaves a lasting legacy on the SWOSU Volleyball program as the program's first four-time All-GAC selection and first player to earn all-region honors. She graduates ranking first in SWOSU and GAC history with 1,662 kills, fourth in hitting percentage (.218) and blocks (203), sixth in digs (898) and tied for seventh in service aces (70). Her senior season ends with a new single-season school record of 505 kills, an average of 4.28 per set.
SWOSU also bids farewell to four other seniors who helped lift the program to new heights, highlighted by the 2015 GAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Division II National Tournament berth.
Kayla Hebert finished with her school-record 35th double-double on Friday evening, totaling 41 assists and 14 digs. The Most Valuable Player of the 2015 GAC Tournament and two-time All-GAC selection graduates ranking second in career assists with 2,223 in just two seasons at SWOSU and she's now the school record holder with 9.46 assists per set in her time as a Bulldog.
Kelsi Schmidtberger put down 10 kills with four blocks (one solo, three assist) in her final outing as a Bulldog. A two-time All-GAC honoree at SWOSU, Schmidtberger tallied 90 blocks (11 solo, 79 assist) in her senior season to move to fifth on the Bulldogs career blocks list with 184 in two seasons at SWOSU.
Paige Holt, who totaled four kills and four blocks (one solo, three assist) on Friday, finishes her career just behind Schmidtberger, ranking sixth on the career blocks list with 178.
Ariana Olson, the longest-tenured player in the SWOSU Volleyball program, recorded seven digs in the final match of her five-year career with the Bulldogs.
"I can't possibly put into words how thankful I am for the amount of hard work and sacrifice these five seniors have put into the SWOSU Volleyball program," Head Coach
Josh Collins said. "They have left a huge imprint on this program and they all embody what it means to be a Bulldog. I want to thank them for choosing to play at SWOSU and allowing me to be their head coach."
