WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Volleyball took a 2-1 lead over Ouachita Baptist on Thursday night, but the Tigers rallied to defeat the Bulldogs in five sets inside the Pioneer Event Center.
Ouachita won 10-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-20, 15-7 to snap SWOSU's four-match winning streak. The Bulldogs moved to 11-7 overall and 4-2 in Great American Conference play.
SWOSU dominated the opening set, hitting .371 while holding Ouachita to a .000 hitting percentage in a 25-10 win. The Tigers responded by scoring five of the final seven points in the second to break a 20-20 tie and even the match.
The Bulldogs regained control in the third. With the score tied at 17, kills from Layla Collins, Sydnee Winfrey and Jenna Houk fueled a five-point run that helped SWOSU close out a 25-20 victory.
Momentum shifted again in the fourth. SWOSU led 17-16 before Ouachita scored seven unanswered points on its way to a 25-20 win. The Tigers then opened the deciding set with an 8-2 lead and hit .615 without an attacking error to finish the comeback, 15-7.
Collins led the Bulldogs with 17 kills while hitting .297. Houk and Winfrey added 13 kills apiece, with Houk collecting 15 digs for a double-double. Morgan Ritchie finished with 12 kills, hit .278 and added four blocks.
Mackenzie Sims totaled 49 assists, five kills, nine digs and two aces. Jada Permenter anchored the back row with a match-high and season-best 27 digs.
SWOSU held a 61-59 advantage in kills and outhit Ouachita .228 to .186 for the match. The Bulldogs held the Tigers to a .000 hitting percentage in both sets they won, but Ouachita hit .306 in the fourth and .615 in the fifth.
The Bulldogs close their three-match home week Friday against Henderson State at 4 p.m.
