SHAWNEE - It has been a long wait, a ton of practices, and a lot of hope, but the the 2020 version of the Oklahoma Baptist volleyball team was finally able to begin their season, even if it has to be in the year 2021, as they started their title defense with a 3-0 sweep over Southeastern Oklahoma State.
OBU hit .254 as a team to start the season including 46 kills to 14 errors while holding the Savage Storm to .178 including 36 kills and 15 errors. The Bison finished with 60 digs on the evening as well as seven total blocks as a team.
OBU was red hot out of the game in the first set as they finished with 18 kills to only one error while hitting a blistering .472.
Malia Leatherland picked up from her All-American campaign by going for six kills in the first set while
Taneyah Brown and
Avery Hellmuth each added three.
Southeastern hung tough, hitting .386 in the first set, but OBU was too tough offensive as they led by as many as six and held off any sort of run in the Savage Storm for 25-21 lead.
The Savage Storm were the aggressors in the second set, taking the lead and holding on to it closely as they only committed two errors in the second set, hitting .214 to OBU's .172. Southeastern opened a 19-16 lead and looked as though they were going to even the match.
However, the Bison exploded for eight straight points including three kills from Brown during the run as well as a service ace from Leatherland. The Bison took a 24-19 lead and eventually closed the set at 25-22 off another kill from Brown.
It was all Bison in the third and final set as they held Southeastern to nine kills and 11 errors for a -.050 hitting percentage and blew the doors open early, crusiing to a 25-13 win in the final set.
Leatherland led the way with 15 kills and a .333 hitting percentage as well as three aces while Brown added 13 kills. Hellmuth had seven kills in her first outing while
Brenna Holley added four.
Kaylee Buell notched 33 assists on the evening.
Defensively,
Diana Carranza led the way wtih 21 digs while
Kelsi Chavez added 14.
Jenna West was impressive in her debut with three blocks while Brown, Hellmuth, and
Audrey Poupard each had one.
Aleksandra Rodic led the Savage Storm with 13 kills while Ruthie Forson had 30 assists. Grace Shehadeh led the way defensively with 20 digs.
OBU returns to action on Friday as they will take on the renewed program of Oklahoma Christian in a non-conference battle. First serve is set for 7 p.m. from the Noble Complex.
