SHAWNEE — After a tough first set, Oklahoma Baptist responded with three dominant frames to earn the victory over Southern Arkansas. The Bison dropped the opening set 25–19 before bouncing back with wins of 25–14, 25–19, and 25–13 to secure the match. The result moved OBU to 14–6 overall and 6–2 in Great American Conference play.
After a slow start in the opener, OBU found its rhythm on both sides of the ball. The Bison hit .264 as a team while holding the Muleriders to just .124. They led the match in kills (52–46), blocks (14–5), and service aces (9–2).
Outside hitter
Rylee Unruh led the Bison's offense with 14 kills on a .355 hitting percentage while adding three blocks and 11 digs.
Lauren Safrit followed with eight kills on a .421 hitting percentage and three block assists while
Allie Stricker tallied nine kills.
Freshman setter
Madi Barnes directed the offense with 20 assists and three aces, while
Emily Boyer added 11 assists and three aces of her own. Defensively, libero
Karsyn Hunter anchored the back row with 21 digs as the Bison defense limited SAU to a hitting percentage of .124.
OBU seized control in the second frame when the team hit .293 to even the match at one set apiece. The Bison jumped out to an early lead using efficient offense and strong serving to claim a 25–14 win.
In the third set, OBU maintained its momentum, hitting .250 and controlling play at the net to pull ahead 2–1 in the match with a 25–19 victory.
The Bison closed out the night in dominant fashion, posting a .308 hitting percentage in the fourth set while holding the Muleriders to just .024. OBU's balanced attack and relentless defense sealed the 25–13 win and the 3–1 match victory.
Oklahoma Baptist returns to action on Friday, Oct. 17, hosting the University of Arkansas at Monticello at 4 p.m. inside the Noble Complex.
