SHAWNEE – OBU Volleyball closed out the regular season schedule with a four-set win over the Rangers Thursday night.
The Bison finished the regular season campaign in Alva against Northwestern Oklahoma State University. OBU led a four-set match, claiming their final win on the guaranteed slate.
This victory for OBU saw the Bison remain undefeated by the Rangers this season after the initial win over NWOSU took place at home in early Oct.
In the Thursday night match, the green and gold totaled 63.0 points, 52 kills, seven aces, four blocks, 49 assists and 88 digs.
Jill Leslie and
Allie Stricker carried the Bison offense with 10 kills-a-piece. Leslie also led the team in aces with a couple as
Kenedy Houchin earned her first aces of the season and
Emily Boyer contributed an ace as well. Leslie and
Lauren Safrit each tallied three blocks. Boyer accumulated 22 assists on the evening and
Chloe Kasterke added 17 assists.
Karsyn Hunter led the team with 24 digs.
Set 1
In the opening stanza, the green and gold were first to the board with a shot from Stricker to get OBU going.
Avery Hellmuth laid down a kill for the visitors' sixth point, but the Rangers answered with three consecutive points to claim their first lead. From there, the home team had the set by the reigns. Although the Bison continued chipping away at the deficit, with NWOSU already at 21 points, a three-score run from OBU wasn't enough to disorient the Rangers, making the total 21-16. Stricker added the final kill for the green and gold and an error from the home team made for a 23-19 score. NWOSU claimed the final pair of points to close out the set, seeing their only set victory of the evening.
Set 2
The Rangers brought the same energy in the second frame but the Bison refused another set loss. The second stanza opened in the same back-and-forth fashion as the opening set. With a 9-7 lead for OBU, three came across for the home team, taking the lead by one. The Bison refused to repeat the first set, taking the next two points to take back the lead. Another 3-0 run from the Rangers put the green and gold down by a couple at 13-11. NWOSU led until a kill from Leslie started a three-score run for OBU to tie things up at 15-15. The next pair of points went to the home team. At 21-17 in favor of the Rangers, two more points came across for the Bison and relentless effort for the ladies in green and gold carried the rest of the set. With NWOSU at set point, a Ranger service error kept the set alive. A block from Leslie and Safrit brought the Bison within a point of the home team and a kill from Leslie knotted things up at 24-a-piece. The Rangers were the first to put up 25 points, but Hellmuth laid down the hammer for OBU, keeping the Bison in the race. The red and black came up with the next point to retake the lead but kill from Safrit and Unruh gave the lead to the green and gold by a lone point, and an error for the home team landed the set for the Bison at 28-26.
Set 3
The Rangers left their energy in the second set, with OBU claiming the first three points of the third frame unanswered, with kills from Stricker and Unruh. NWOSU worked their way toward 25 but OBU controlled the entirety of set three. With the Rangers within a point of the Bison total, an error from the red and black sparked a four-score run to extend the lead to five for OBU. A kill from Leslie sent the green and gold into double digits. An impressive six points followed for the Bison for a 10-point lead at 16-6 with two Ranger errors, another kill from Leslie, blocks from Leslie and Safrit and an ace from Houchin. The home team took the next point but the three points that followed belonged to OBU for a 19-7 score. A couple of 2-0 runs helped put the Bison but ultimately, the 6-0 run for OBU undid the efforts of a Ranger comeback. A kill from Leslie claimed the set for the green and gold at 25-14.
Set 4
Unruh started off the fourth set strong taking the first point for the Bison with a kill and the second with an ace. A kill came across for NWOSU to put the home team on the board, but OBU responded with a pair of points. Another 6-0 run saw the Bison find their stride with kills from Helmuth, Safrit, an ace from Kasterke, and three errors from the red and black. With four points recorded for NWOSU, OBU took the next five consecutive points to extend their lead to 16-4. A trio of points came across for the Rangers before the Bison saw Stricker claim another kill. Another pair of points came in for NWOSU but three more came across for Oklahoma Baptist. The Rangers closed down the gap to a nine-point deficit but an error from the red and black and a kill from Safrit sealed the deal on the regular season finale for the Bison with a win, 25-14 in the final set and 3-1 on the evening.
Next up
Next up for OBU is a run at the 2024 GAC Tournament. Tournament action will see the green and gold take on Ouachita Baptist in the opening round of play Thursday, Nov.21, at 5:30 p.m. The 2024 GAC Tournament will be held in Hot Spring, Arkansas, at Bank Ozk Arena.
