Tweet #theGAC  HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – In Friday’s opening Great American Conference Volleyball Championship semifinal match from the Bank OZK Arena, Arkansas Tech staged comebacks late in each of the first two sets en route to scoring a four-set victory against Southwestern Oklahoma State.
 
The Golden Suns (21-7) trailed by as many as six points in the opening set. Down 19-16, they won nine of the final 10 points to take the set, 25-20. They followed a similar script in set two as they overcame a 21-18 deficit as they claimed seven of the final eight points for a 25-22 win.
 
The Bulldogs (20-8) pushed the match to a fourth set with a 25-20 win in the third set. They produced their best attack percentage of the match, .344, as they committed only one error. In the fourth set, the Golden Suns ripped off runs of six-straight and seven-straight points to close out the match with a 25-14 win.
 
Haylee Paladini led the Golden Suns attack with 19 kills. She committed just two errors and hit .447. Brianna Merkel added 42 assists and 19 digs. Madison Grantham collected 22 digs.
 
Mackenzie Harless totaled 14 kills for the Bulldogs. Sophia Desantiago finished with a match-high 28 digs. Chezney Nielsen and Terez Chaveez registered double-doubles. SWOSU dropped to 1-5 all-time in GAC Championship semifinal matches.
 
The Golden Suns advance to the final of the GAC Championships for the sixth time, but the first time since 2017. They will face Oklahoma Baptist. The match streams on GACSportsNetwork.com at 2 p.m. The Bison have eliminated the Golden Suns at each of the last two GAC Championships – in the semifinals last April and in the quarterfinals in 2019.