HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Southern Nazarene won its fourth-straight Great American Conference Volleyball Championship match as it eliminated fourth-seeded Northwestern Oklahoma State in four sets in Thursday’s fourth quarterfinal contest from Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
| GAC Volleyball Championships: Quarterfinal #4 |
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| #5 Southern Nazarene (15-17) |
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| #4 Northwestern Oklahoma State (20-11) |
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OFFENSIVE LEADERS:
SNU - Makenna Hunter – 12 kills, .455 attack percentage, 15.5 points
Kayla Thomas – 13 kills, .391 attack percentage
Kylie Smith – 48 assists
NWOSU - Jennifer Eubanks – 16 kills, .560 attack percentage, 20.0 points
Brooklyn Hesson – 12 kills, .195 attack percentage
Kiauna Clark – 25 assists, five kills, 8.5 points
DEFENSIVE LEADERS:
SNU - Elyse Berlin – 19 digs
Bailee Turang – 18 digs
Hunter – four blocks
NWOSU - Carley Geer – 16 digs
Hannah Williams – 12 digs, two blocks
Eubanks – six blocks
FIRST SET HIGHLIGHTS:
The Crimson Storm grabbed the early advantage as they took the opening set, 25-20. They had four players each tally at least three kills. Bailee Turang led with 5.0 points scored. The opening set featured six ties and three lead changes. Neither side held a lead larger than four points until the Crimson Storm won the final three points. SNU hit .343 in the set.
SECOND SET HIGHLIGHTS:
The Rangers leveled the contest following a 25-22 win in the second set. They raced out to early leads of 7-2 and 12-5 and eventually built a nine-point advantage, 18-9, before the Crimson Storm scored nine of the next 10 points to pull to within one at 19-18. Up 20-19, the Rangers won the next four points and eventually secured the set win. Eubanks and Hesson combined for nine kills and a .500 attack percentage in the set.
THIRD SET HIGHLIGHTS:
SNU regained the lead after winning a tightly contested third set, 26-24. The set featured 10 ties. The Rangers consistently came back in the set as they rallied from down 8-5 to square the set at 10; from behind 15-10 to level the score at 17 and from down 22-18 to forge a 23-23 tie. Hunter collected three kills and a team-leading 4.5 points in the seven. Eubanks countered with 7.5 points.
FOURTH SET HIGHLIGHTS:
As close as the two played the third set, the final set ratcheted up the intensity as it featured 15 ties and four lead changes before the Crimson Storm secured a 25-23 win. From the time when the Rangers led 5-4 to when the Crimson Storm led 18-17, neither side led by more than one point. Two points represented the largest lead either side had in the set. McKayla Benner, Hunter and Thomas combined for 11 kills and a .478 attack percentage in the set.
NOTABLE:
- Southern Nazarene improved to 4-0 in GAC quarterfinal matches, the best record in the round in the GAC
- Northwestern Oklahoma State – 0-2 all-time in GAC Championship games
- Second-straight year in which the No. 5 seed won its quarterfinal game
WHAT’S NEXT:
Southern Nazarene will face Arkansas Tech at 6 p.m. on Friday.