WICHITA, Kan. – In possibly the biggest win in Oklahoma Baptist volleyball history, at least since joining the NCAA Division II ranks, the Bison stormed back down two sets to one against preseason No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney, erasing a 10-2 fifth set deficit to defeat the Lopers 15-13 and claim the 3-2 victory.
It was a rematch of OBU's debut appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2019, a contest the Lopers swept 3-0 on their home floor on their way to advancing all the way to national championship game, where they fell in five sets.
The Lopers were this year's preseason No. 1 team in the nation, and the Bison scored their biggest win, and their second win of the weekend over a top-five team in the preseason national polls.
The Bison took the first set, 25-21, before UNK showed their quality and toughness, rolling through the next two sets, 25-10 and 25-15. OBU put together a gritty 25-21 win in set four to force a decisive fifth set.
OBU fell behind 10-2, but mounted a giant comeback, coming all the way back to even the match at 13 apiece. The Bison took the final two points, including the game-winning kill from
Malia Leatherland on a massive rally to stun UNK.
Later in the afternoon, OBU made it a 4-0 weekend over MIAA opponents as they swept Missouri Western State, 25-20, 25-15, 25-14.
The Bison move to 8-0 on the season and will take a week off as Tuesday's match against Southeastern has been canceled. OBU will return home on Tuesday, March 9 to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State inside the Noble Complex.
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