SEARCY, Ark. – SWOSU Volleyball held a 2-1 lead Friday afternoon at Harding, but the Lady Bisons rallied to hand the Bulldogs their second five-set loss in as many days.
The win extended Harding's home winning streak to 23 matches. The Lady Bisons had not lost inside Rhodes-Reaves Field House since SWOSU defeated them there during the 2024 season. The Bulldogs nearly ended the streak Friday while finishing with advantages in kills (62-61), hitting percentage (.244-.211) and digs (84-82).
The opening set was tied at 20 before Harding scored five of the final eight points to take an early lead. SWOSU responded emphatically in the second, hitting .417 with only two errors while holding the Lady Bisons to .059 in a 25-15 win.
Harding appeared ready to close the third set after reaching set point with a 24-21 advantage. The Lady Bisons initially appeared to score their 25th point two rallies later, but a successful review overturned the call and kept SWOSU alive at 24-23.
The Bulldogs took advantage of the reprieve. A Harding attack error evened the score before consecutive SWOSU blocks and a Sydnee Winfrey kill completed a five-point closing run. The 26-24 comeback gave the Dawgs a 2-1 match lead.
Harding forced a deciding frame with a 25-16 victory in the fourth. SWOSU then erased an early deficit to tie the fifth at 8-8, but the Lady Bisons responded with five straight points and held on for the 15-11 decision. Harding hit .407 with 11 kills and did not commit an attack error in the final set.
Layla Collins delivered a season-high 24 kills while hitting .327, her third-best percentage of the season. Katja Blanchat added 11 kills on a .370 clip, while Winfrey finished with 10 kills and hit .333.
Mackenzie Sims recorded 52 assists and 14 digs for a double-double. Jada Permenter led the defensive effort with 30 digs, and Willow Deckinger added 12.
SWOSU is now 1-4 in five-set matches this season and 0-3 in five-set GAC contests, with all three conference defeats coming in October.
The Bulldogs return home next week to host Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday, October 15, at 4 p.m., followed by Southern Arkansas on Friday.
