SHAWNEE, Okla. – SWOSU Volleyball took the opening set in Shawnee but ultimately fell to Oklahoma Baptist 3-1, suffering their first loss in conference play.

SWOSU came out strong with a wire-to-wire win in the first set. Jenna Houk paced the offense with eight kills, while the Bison managed just 11 kills with six errors. The Bulldogs' back-row defense was sharp as well, collecting 30 digs—10 of them from Jada Permenter.

Momentum shifted in the second set. SWOSU scored the opening point, but the Bison quickly took control and never trailed again. They built a seven-point cushion by the midway mark and stretched the lead to eight late in the frame to even the match at 1-1.

The third and fourth sets followed a similar pattern, with the Dawgs falling 25-16 and 25-15. SWOSU's attack cooled off, with 18 errors to just 12 kills, while OBU steadily improved its efficiency, finishing the fourth set at a match high .306 hitting percentage. 

Houk led the offense with 13 kills despite being limited to a .083 hitting percentage with nine errors. She also contributed 15 digs, marking the first double-double of her career. Hailey Smith added nine kills on the same percentage, while Katja Blanchat stood out in the middle with five solo blocks and six kills. On the backline, Jada Permenter anchored the defense with a team-high 22 digs, and setter Cameron Turner recorded a season-high 16 digs along with a match-best 34 assists.

SWOSU (3-10, 1-1 GAC) heads to Durant on Tuesday to face Southeastern Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. before returning home next Thursday (10/2) to host Northwestern.