Bison Ride 10-Match Win Streak Into Durant

SHAWNEE – In the midst of a 10-match winning streak, Oklahoma Baptist volleyball looks to tighten its grip on a Great American Conference regular-season title when it heads to Southeastern Oklahoma State on Thursday, Oct. 23 for a 6 p.m. contest at Bloomer Sullivan Gym.

The #22 Bison (19-4, 11-0 GAC) are looking to finish off the season sweep of the Savage Storm (9-14, 4-7) after earning a sweep in the first meeting of the season on Sept. 8 in Shawnee. OBU has already clinched a spot in next month's GAC Tournament in Enid, and needs two more victories in its next five matches to clinch at least a share of the GAC regular-season title and the top seed in the conference tournament.

Three wins in the final five matches would give the Bison their fifth GAC regular-season title since 2019. OBU has won 33 of 41 sets (.805) in conference play this year, including six sweeps.

CHASING PERFECTION

• Oklahoma Baptist enters Thursday's contest alone at the top of the Great American Conference standings with a perfect 11-0 record.
• The Bison went undefeated in GAC play during the Spring 2021 season after COVID-19 forced teams to move their seasons from Fall 2020. But that season did not include a full 16-match GAC slate.
• Should OBU win its next five matches, it would be the fourth time that head coach Anna Howle has led her team to a perfect conference record. In addition to Spring 2021, the Bison were also unbeaten in Sooner Athletic Conference action in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

CONFERENCE TITLE IMPLICATIONS

• Oklahoma Baptist currently holds a three-match lead on Harding and Ouachita Baptist, who are tied for second place. OBU holds the tiebreaker against both second-place teams.
• The Bison need to win just two of their remaining five matches to clinch at least a share of the GAC regular-season title and the top seed in next month's GAC Tournament.
• OBU has won four GAC regular-season championships in the past. The Bison won the league title in 2019, 2020 (Spring 2021), 2021, and 2023. 
• Of the remaining five opponents, Southern Nazarene is the one that gave OBU the most trouble as the Bison came back from a three-point deficit in the fifth set for a 3-2 win.
• Against all other remaining opponents, Oklahoma Baptist has won 12 of 13 sets this year.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

• For the first time since the 2023 campaign, OBU earned two GAC weekly awards in the same week.
• Rylee Unruh was named as the GAC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, while Emily Boyer earned Setter of the Week honors.
• Both Bison standouts have earned those respective awards three times this season and OBU has earned seven total weekly awards. Melody Donegan also has a GAC Offensive Player of the Week award this season.

OBU vs. SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES HISTORY

• Oklahoma Baptist leads the overall series 29-6. OBU owns a 21-2 advantage in the Division II era, the only portion of the series for which complete match-by-match results are available.
• OBU is 10-2 in Shawnee and 11-0 in Durant during the Division II era.
• The Bison have won four consecutive meetings and 20 of the last 21. Southeastern's only Division II-era victories came in Shawnee on Nov. 8, 2016 and Sept. 17, 2024.
• OBU has won 19 of the 23 Division II-era meetings in straight sets. The Bison have won nine of their 11 Division II-era matches in Durant by sweep.