ENID, Okla. – SWOSU Volleyball knocked off top-seeded Oklahoma Baptist in five sets Thursday night to advance to the Great American Conference Tournament Championship match.
The fourth-seeded Bulldogs won 25-19, 25-21, 25-27, 16-25, 15-12 for their first postseason victory over Oklahoma Baptist after dropping the previous two tournament meetings. SWOSU improved to 20-10 and will face second-seeded Harding for the conference championship Friday at 3 p.m. inside the Stride Bank Center.
Five Bulldogs finished with double-digit kills for the first time this season. Layla Collins led the balanced attack with 14, followed by Sydnee Winfrey with 13, Morgan Ritchie with 12 and Katja Blanchat and Jenna Houk with 10 apiece.
SWOSU set the tone with its two most efficient offensive stretches of the match. The Bulldogs hit .333 in the opening set and broke a 10-10 tie with five consecutive points. Oklahoma Baptist later pulled within 16-15, but SWOSU answered with a 9-4 closing run capped by a Houk kill.
The Bulldogs hit .351 in the second and again created separation late. With the score tied at 18-18, Blanchat started a 3-0 run with a kill before combining with Ritchie for a block. Collins added three kills down the stretch, and SWOSU took a 2-0 match lead with a 25-21 win.
Oklahoma Baptist began its comeback in a third set that featured a dramatic finish. SWOSU led 18-13 before the Bison scored six straight points to move ahead. The Bulldogs recovered and reached match point at 24-22 behind consecutive kills from Blanchat, but Oklahoma Baptist fought it off and scored five of the final six points to extend the match, 27-25.
The Bison carried that momentum into the fourth, opening a 10-4 lead and hitting .385 to force a deciding set with a 25-16 win.
SWOSU quickly regained control in the fifth. Ritchie recorded two early kills before Collins pushed the lead to 4-1. Winfrey then supplied three kills and a block during a stretch that extended the advantage to 10-5.
Oklahoma Baptist made one final push, trimming a six-point deficit to 14-12, but SWOSU held on and clinched the match on an attack error.
Winfrey led the Bulldogs with a .345 hitting percentage and added three blocks. Ritchie hit .294, while Blanchat finished at .259 with a team-high four blocks. Houk added 13 digs for a double-double.
Mackenzie Sims directed the balanced attack with 45 assists and 16 digs for her 19th double-double of the season. Jada Permenter led the back row with 27 digs, while SWOSU totaled 88 as a team. The Bulldogs outhit Oklahoma Baptist .201-.184, held an 8.5-3 advantage in blocks and finished with seven service aces.
Friday's appearance will be SWOSU's second straight in the championship match and third in program history. After avenging two regular-season losses to Oklahoma Baptist, the Bulldogs will look to avenge a five-set loss to Harding while seeking their second GAC Tournament title and first since 2015.
Thursday's victory also secured the fifth 20-win season in program history.
