CANYON, Texas -- Oklahoma Baptist improved to 2-0 on the young season with a fairly-convincing four-set win over Texas A&M International on Friday at the campus of West Texas A&M University. The Bison controlled the match with strong offensive balance and timely defense, earning set scores of 25-21, 19-25, 25-15, and 25-9.
After edging the Dustdevils in the opening frame, which saw the team erase a 21-18 deficit with a set-clinching 7-0 run, OBU stumbled in the second as Texas A&M International capitalized on cleaner execution, hitting .250 as a team.
However, the Bison quickly regrouped in the third, swinging at a .281 clip and dominating at the net to regain momentum.
Lillian Noble had five kills to lead the green and gold in the third.
The fourth set showcased OBU at its best, limiting TAMIU to a negative hitting percentage (-0.179) while rolling to a decisive 25-9 finish. During that final set, OBU reeled off a 9-0 run to gain an 11-3 advantage and never looked back.
Noble was a standout for the Bison, hitting .500 with eight kills and adding a service ace for 9.5 total points.
Mackenzie Frazee anchored the defense at the net, recording eight block assists and three solo blocks for a match-high 14.5 points.
Rylee Unruh contributed across the board with eight kills, three aces,and 12 digs while
Allie Stricker and
Lauren Safrit combined for 14 kills. Setter
Emily Boyer dished out 17 assists and chipped in four points with a kill, an ace and a block.
On the other side, Mia Molina paced the Dustdevils with 10 kills, while Danea King added eight on a .250 hitting mark. Texas A&M International struggled to maintain consistency, finishing with 39 kills against 31 errors for a .058 hitting percentage.
On Saturday, the Bison will play Western Colorado University and No. 8 West Texas to close out the BritKare Lady Buff Classic.
