SHAWNEE, Okla. – SWOSU Volleyball battled through a five-set classic to topple Harding and punch its ticket to the GAC Championship match — the program's first title appearance since 2015.

The Dawgs will face the winner of the (1) Ouachita Baptist vs. (5) Oklahoma Baptist semifinal tomorrow at 3 p.m. inside FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Okla.

The opening set played about as tight as you can get, with the score staying within three points until a final push by the Dawgs, who won the last four to take the opener 25-21. The set featured 12 ties and stayed within a single point from 13-12 until SWOSU's closing 4-0 run.

Katja Blanchat had five kills on just seven attempts in the first set, along with two blocks.

SWOSU and Harding were deadlocked at nine to start the second, but the Dawgs quickly went on a 9-2 run capped by a massive block from Blanchat and Paris Patterson that sent the building into a frenzy. Harding refused to go away, battling back to make it a one-point game on three different occasions before another Blanchat kill sealed the 25-23 win.

Although the momentum Harding built at the end of the second set carried into the third — helping them jump out to a 16-8 lead — the Dawgs tried to stay within reach and cut the deficit to six. The Lady Bisons, however, held firm and closed out the frame 25-17.

The fourth set followed a similar script. The score stayed tight at 12-11 in favor of Harding before a 6-1 run broke the set open. The Lady Bisons eventually took it 25-18, forcing a decisive fifth set with a spot in the GAC Championship on the line.

In the fifth, the Dawgs came out fast and built a 6-2 lead before the Lady Bisons steadied and earned match point at 14-11, putting SWOSU on the brink of its season ending. Hailey Smith kept the Dawgs alive with a kill, and Paris Patterson followed with a clutch short-serve ace to tie it at 14. Suddenly, SWOSU had match point of its own after fighting off four in a row.

Smith then showed exactly why she was a First Team All-Conference selection, stuffing Harding's final swing with a block that dropped cleanly on the Lady Bisons' side. The Dawgs took the set 17-15, sealing the win and earning their first trip to the GAC Championship match since 2015.

After hitting .444 in the opening set, the Dawgs dipped below .171 over the next three frames before delivering in the clutch during the fifth, bouncing back to hit .258. SWOSU ultimately outhit Harding .218 to .215 in a match that stayed tight from start to finish.

Jenna Houk paced the Dawgs with 14 kills on .343 hitting, including four in the deciding set — two of them coming with SWOSU facing match point. Paris Patterson added 13 kills and two service aces. Katja Blanchat posted 12 kills and eight blocks, both season highs. She now has 137 blocks on the year, placing her second in SWOSU's single-season record book, just nine shy of Zoey Sparks. Hailey Smith added 11 kills.

Defensively, five Bulldogs reached double-digit digs. Jada Permenter led the way with 22, Houk added 16, and both Patterson and Mackenzie Sims tallied 12. Sims also handed out 49 assists, while Cameron Turner contributed 10 digs.