SHAWNEE – Just a game out of first place, No. 23 Oklahoma Baptist has two important Great American Conference volleyball matches over the next couple days. On Oct. 21, the Bison visit Henderson State and then on the 22nd, play at Ouachita.
Last week, OBU swept through Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Arkansas to improve its record to 14-3 and 7-2 in the conference. In the process,
Malia Leatherland was named GAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Those 3-0 wins kept the green and gold ranked among the nation's best in numerous statistical categories. This fall, OBU checks in at No. 23 and No. 31 in blocks (2.32) and opponent hitting percentage (.133), respectively. On the offensive end, coach
Anna Howle's team is 19th in DII in assists per set (12.64) and 38th in hitting percentage (.241).
Individually, OBU athletes are littered across the GAC statistical leaderboard. Three players have high hitting percentages:
Audrey Poupard (4th),
Taneyah Brown (10th) and
Avery Hellmuth (12th). Leatherland is the conference leader in points (3.72) while
Kaylee Buell checks in at second in assists (9.68).
Plus, Poupard leads the league and is tied for 19th in blocks per set (1.2) while
Diana Carranza is sixth in digs (4.46) in the GAC.
Here's a look at OBU's opponents:
Henderson State |
Great American Conference |
Spring 2021 Record: 6-6
The Reddies are coming off a five-set win against Southeastern Oklahoma State on Oct. 16. That victory boosted HSU's record to 16-6 and 5-4 in the GAC. Coming into this matchup with OBU, recent history has favored coach Philip McDaniel's team which has won three straight in the series. Coming into the fall, Henderson was picked to finish in sixth in the GAC Preseason Poll.
What has stuck out so far this season for HSU is its defense. The Reddies are fifth in the nation in blocks per set (2.55) and 21st in opponent hitting percentage (.126). They are also second in the GAC in digs per set (17.27). On the offensive end, Henderson is fourth in the GAC in hitting percentage (.203), assists (11.19) and service aces (1.48).
Here's a look at a few key players for the Reddies:
No. 7 Kaitlyn Sikes | Her 1.10 blocks per set rank second in the GAC
No. 10 Violeta Mendoza Quintana | Ranks 2nd in the GAC in points (3.71) and 4th in kills (3.27)
No. 16 Makenzie Thoman | Spring 2021 All-GAC First Team; Ranks 3rd in the GAC in digs (5.2)
Ouachita Baptist |
Great American Conference |
Spring 2021 Record: 3-8
The Tigers have been in a rut lately, losing three straight following a 3-0 loss to East Central on Oct. 16. That defeat lowered the Tigers' record to 7-15 and 2-7 league mark. Friday's match between the Tigers and Bison is the seventh all-time meeting in the series with OBU holding a 4-2 advantage.
Coming into this season, coach Allison Frizzell-Kizer's squad was picked to finish in tenth in the conference. Ouachita has struggled this season in large part due to its offense. The Tigers' attack ranks eleventh in hitting percentage (.148), tenth in assists (10.30) and ninth in kills (11.47). One positive has been Ouachita's service game. It is ranked third in aces (1.60).
Here are the key players for the Tigers:
No. 5 Kayla Steinmeyer | Checks in at No. 11 in the GAC in kills per set (2.79)
No. 12 Lexie Castillow | Spring 2021 All-GAC Honorable Mention; Ranks 2nd in digs (5.3)
No. 15 Emily Low | Spring 2021 All-GAC Honorable Mention; Her .305 attack mark is fifth in the GAC and she is 12th in blocks (0.81).
For complete information on Bison volleyball, follow the team's official Twitter account (
OBU_Volleyball) and download the new OBU mobile app on your
iOS or
Android device.
