ALVA, Okla. – SWOSU Volleyball took care of business in Alva on Thursday night, defeating the Rangers 3-1 for its third straight win and sixth consecutive victory over Northwestern.
The Dawgs opened the match hot, jumping out to a 5-1 lead in a blink after a Jenna Houk kill. Northwestern would settle in, eventually evening the score at 10-10 before the Bulldogs found their rhythm and closed the set on a 15-5 run to take a 1-0 lead in the match. SWOSU recorded 19 kills compared to just seven for the home team in the opening set while hitting a blistering .405.
The Rangers would flip the script in the second set, dominating from start to finish. After SWOSU took the opening point, Northwestern rattled off six straight points to take a commanding lead and control the set, eventually winning 25-17.
SWOSU took the third set in wire-to-wire fashion, using an 8-0 run to jump out to an 11-3 lead early in the frame. The Dawgs led by as many as 10 points before taking the set 25-19 to move ahead 2-1 on the night. Through three sets of play, Layla Collins, Morgan Ritchie and Houk each eclipsed 10 kills.
The Bulldogs came out blistering hot in the fourth set, winning the opening seven points, with three coming from the arm of Katja Blanchat. After the Rangers cut the deficit to 9-6, three Sydnee Winfrey kills helped fuel a 4-0 run that kept the Dawgs in control, pushing the lead to 13-6 and forcing the home team to call a timeout. SWOSU would lead by as many as nine before the Rangers attempted to climb back into the match with a 7-2 run, cutting the deficit to four late. The Dawgs responded by stacking points down the stretch, closing out the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.
Mackenzie Sims totaled a season-high 52 assists, the second-most of her career. Jenna Houk (17), Sydnee Winfrey (14), Layla Collins (13) and Morgan Ritchie (12) paced a balanced Bulldog attack with double-digit kills. Winfrey added a career-high 10 digs to complete her first double-double of the season, while Jada Permenter led SWOSU with 20 digs.
SWOSU (10-6, 4-1 GAC) will now rest for the weekend before playing three consecutive home matches next week, beginning with Cameron on Tuesday in their final non-conference matchup of the season. The Dawgs will then welcome Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State to the PEC later in the week.
