HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Harding advanced to title match of the 2017 Great American Conference Volleyball Championships for the first time since 2013, and the fourth time in seven years, by sweeping Southern Nazarene in Friday’s opening semifinal match from the Bank of Ozarks Arena.
| GAC Volleyball Championships: Semifinal #1 |
1 |
2 |
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| #3 Oklahoma Baptist (18-15) |
23 |
17 |
19 |
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| #2 Harding (27-5) |
20 |
25 |
25 |
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OFFENSIVE LEADERS:
OKB - Mikayla Watson: 17 kills, .240 attack percentage
Nicole Fleitman: 10 kills, .556 attack percentage
Hayden Blair: 35 assists
HU - Taylor Mounts: 12 kills, .344 attack percentage
Emma Reeves: nine kills, .529 attack percentage
Rachel Heussner: 41 assists
DEFENSIVE LEADERS:
OKB - Kelsi Chavez: 18 digs
Hayden Blair: 10 digs
Malia Leatherland: 10 digs
HU - Zoe Hardin: 5 blocks
Taylor Lake: 21 digs
Madison Poen: 18 digs
FIRST SET HIGHLIGHTS:
Harding scored the final four points of the set to grab the early advantage with a 25-23 win. Mounts connected on two of her five first-set kills as part of the come back. Oklahoma Baptist’s Watson and Fleitman each tallied seven kills and combined to hit .500. The rest of the Lady Bison hit just .029. Hardin add 4.0 points with three kills and two block assists while Lake totaled 11 digs.
SECOND SET HIGHLIGHTS:
Harding never trailed in the second set en route to a 25-17 triumph. They Lady Bisons hit .368 as compared to .167 for the Lady Bison. After scoring 2.0 points in the opening set, Reeves collected 5.5 as she hit .556 with five kills and added a block assist. Heussner assisted on 14 of Harding’s 16 kills. Watson reached double figures in kills with five more in the set.
THIRD SET HIGHLIGHTS:
Trailing 13-8, Harding scored 13 of the next 16 points to flip the five-point deficit into a five-point advantage. The Lady Bisons completed the three-set victory by producing their top hitting set of match, .429. Emily Clayton, Emily Smith, Hardin and Mounts combined for 16 kills and a .483 attack percentage. Heussner increased her assist total for the second-straight set as she dished out 15.
NOTABLE:
- Harding makes its fourth appearance in the GAC Championships title match – won in 2012, lost in 2011 and 2013
- Harding’s four title-game appearances ties Arkansas Tech for the most in GAC history
- Harding’s first three-set victory at the GAC Championships since 2013 quarterfinals against Arkansas-Monticello
- After recording 16 blocks against Ouachita, Oklahoma Baptist recorded only one block on Friday
WHAT’S NEXT:
Harding will face the Arkansas Tech-Southern Nazarene winner at 2 p.m. on Saturday.