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WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Kelsi Schmidtberger put down a career-best 16 kills for the SWOSU Volleyball team on Thursday night at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center, but it was not enough to help her squad to a victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Rangers defeated SWOSU 3-1 by scores of 25-22, 25-19, 25-27, 25-20.
Schmidtberger had 10 kills in the first two sets, keeping the Bulldogs alive despite 13 hitting errors and a hitting percentage less than .200 in each frame. SWOSU took a 20-19 lead late in the first, but the Rangers scored three straight points to take control and force a timeout by the Dawgs before the teams traded kills down the stretch allowing NWOSU to win the set 25-22. The second set saw a similar fate as a 12-11 advantage by SWOSU turned into an 18-12 deficit as the Rangers went on a run during the serve of Natalie Fahey and held on for the 25-19 set win.
For as good as she played in the first two sets, Schmidtberger had her best effort in the third, putting down six kills on eight attempts without an error to help keep the Bulldogs close during another back-and-forth set. With her team trailing 22-19 late in the third set, Schmidtberger got her career-high 16th kill of the match to make it a two-point game and the run by SWOSU continue with a pair of kills from
Carly Zak that gave the Bulldogs a 23-22 advantage. Northwestern scored the next two points to get to match point at 24-23, but SWOSU battled off two set points on kills from Zak before a handling error and a kill by
Jill Green ended the set at 27-25.
SWOSU used their momentum to rushed out and take an early 4-0 lead in the fourth set, but it would be short-lived as the Rangers scored the next four points to even the score. NWOSU, hitting .261 for the set, pulled out to a 15-10 advantage and wouldn't let the Dawgs get any closer than three points the remainder of the way before finishing out the match at 25-20 in the fourth.
Schmidtberger, who was held without a kill in the fourth set, finished with a career-best 16 kills on 29 swings with two hitting errors for a .483 hitting percentage. She also had four block assists and two digs in the match. With 14 kills in the final two sets, Zak ended up leading the Bulldogs with 18 for the match while also adding a double-double with 12 digs to go along with three service aces.
Kayla Hebert also doubled up with 40 assists and 12 digs while
Kaitlyn Dillon again set a new career-high for the second straight match with 28 digs.
SWOSU (2-10, 0-2 GAC) now heads on the road for the grind of Great American Conference play, including five consecutive road matches. The next action for the Dawgs is next Friday night at Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant.
