WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Volleyball made quick work of East Central on Tuesday in the home conference opener, defeating the Tigers in straight sets 25-13, 25-10, and 25-23 inside the Pioneer Event Center.

The Bulldogs set the tone at the net, finishing with nine total blocks, six of which came in the opening frame. Hailey Smith paced the attack with a career-high 16 kills, hitting .406 on the night, and fittingly ended the match with the final point.

SWOSU's defense stifled ECU in the first two sets, forcing 19 total errors and holding the Tigers to negative hitting percentages in both frames. On the other side, the Bulldogs' offense more than tripled ECU's kill count in those sets, tallying 26 kills to just six errors.

The third set proved far more competitive, featuring 11 ties and six lead changes. ECU kept the pressure on, but the Bulldogs regained control midway through the frame and held off the Tigers to close out the sweep.

For the match, SWOSU held ECU to -.072 hitting, their lowest opponent percentage of the season, while finishing with a .292 team mark – the second-highest offensive output of the year.

Behind Smith's 16 kills, Paris Patterson added eight despite five errors, while Katja Blanchat led the blocking effort with five (1 solo, 4 assists). Patterson and Smith each chipped in three blocks of their own. On the backline, Jada Permenter anchored the defense with 12 digs.

With the win, SWOSU opens conference play 1-0 after navigating a challenging non-conference schedule to begin the season. The Dawgs now turn their attention to Oklahoma Baptist, making the quick turnaround for a 7:00 pm road matchup in Shawnee on Thursday.