Tweet #theGAC  HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – After a three-year drought, Arkansas Tech reclaimed its position as the top volleyball program in the Great American Conference as the Golden Suns ended Oklahoma Baptist’s reign as conference champions by upsetting the two-time champion Bison in five sets to win the 2021 GAC Volleyball Championship title from the Bank OZK Arena.
 
In the fourth five-set final in GAC history, the Golden Suns (22-7) overcame a 7-1 deficit in the final set. They won six straight points to tie the set then won the final six points to capture their fifth title. They won previously in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2017. They became just the second team to defeat the number one seed in the final. The 2013 championship team defeated a Harding team that had won 33 straight matches against GAC opponents.
 
In the opening set, Tech started quickly and built up a 15-6 lead. Oklahoma Baptist (23-4) rallied to even the set at 18-18. The Golden Suns never allowed the Bison to take the lead and eventually won the set, 25-23. After losing the first point of the second set, Oklahoma Baptist never trailed again en route to a 25-15 win.
 
Arkansas Tech rallied from a six-point deficit in the third set to retake the lead. Trailing 18-12, they won eight of the next nine points to take the lead as well as the final four points to close out the set. The Bison forced the fifth set by overcoming an 11-8 hole.
 
Tymber Riley, Abby Simpson and Kaitlynn Bradley led the Golden Suns’ offensive effort. Riley and Simpson each registered 18 kills. Bradley followed up with 17 while hitting .500. Brianna Merkel recorded 52 assists and 14 digs for her third double-double of the tournament.  Haylee Paladini finished with 10 kills. She earned Tournament MVP honors after averaging 3.67 points per set and hitting .284. Merkel and Madison Grantham also made the All-Tournament Team. Grantham totaled 58 digs for the Championship and served a total of seven aces.
 
GAC Player of the Year Malia Leatherland finished with a match-high 20 kills. She added 16 digs and earned a place on the All-Tournament Team. Her teammate, Kaylee Buell, also made the team after averaging 11.17 assists and 4.08 digs per set. Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Sophia DeSantiago and Harding’s Emma Winiger rounded out the seven-member team.
 
The Golden Suns claimed the GAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, their fifth in the last 11 years. They will learn their postseason opponent on Monday’s selection show. It streams on NCAA.com at 6:30 p.m. CT.