HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Allie Anderson turned in a 15-kill performance, hitting .244, while Hunter Eshnaur (13 kills) and Tabitha Spray (12 kills) also reached double figures, Amanda Milnick dished out 47 assists, and Madison Nagel turned in a 34-dig performance as the No. 8 Arkansas Tech Golden Suns volleyball team (35-0) captured the 2017 Great American Conference championship with a 3-2 win over Harding (27-6) on Saturday at Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
 
UP NEXT

• The Golden Suns will find out their postseason fate on Monday, Nov. 20 when the NCAA tournament field is announced at 6:30 p.m.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams played closely in the opening points of the first set, with Tech and Harding fighting to an 11-11 tie. However, the Golden Suns scored four consecutive points to force a Lady Bisons tumeout. Tech scored the next two points after the timeout and cruised to a 25-17 win in the opening set.
• Harding claimed an early 8-7 advantage in set number two, but Tech was able to pull ahead after three consecutive points. Again, Harding was able to knot the set at 11-11.
• Tech scored seven of the next eight points to create some separation and claim a 25-20 win in the second set.
• Harding jumped out to a 5-1 advantage in the third set, but the Golden Suns came back to knot the set at 10-10.
• Tech took its first lead of the set at the 15-14 mark after a kill by Lexie Johnston capped a 3-0 run.
• After an 18-18 tie, Harding outscored Tech 7-3 down the stretch to claim a 25-21 win in the third set.
• The fourth set saw Harding jump out to a 3-0 advantage, and eventually to a 6-1 lead before the Golden Suns were able to narrow the deficit to two (6-4) after three straight points.
• Back-to-back kills by Spray tied the set at 11-11.
• Harding reclaimed the advantage before the Golden Suns were able to retie the match at 15-15, however, Harding was able to create the separation it needed in a 25-20 set win.
• In the final set, Tech jumped ahead 2-0 before Harding scored the next three points to claim a 3-2 advantage.
• The Lady Bisons stretched ahead 6-4, before Tech notched three straight points to reclaim the lead.
• After Harding claimed an 11-9 advantage, the Golden Suns scored the final six points of the set to seal the 15-11 win in the deciding fifth set.

NOTABLES

• Tech outhit Harding .163 to .124 for the match, hitting .333 in the second set.
• The Golden Suns notched 14 blocks, outblocking the Lady Bisons 14-13.
• Joining Nagel in double figure digs were Meredith Darnell (15) and Amanda Milnick (14).
• There were 29 tie scores and 13 lead changes.
• Tech is now 3-1 all-time against Harding in GAC title matches.
• The Golden Suns win the Great American Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
• Johnston, Nagel, and Milnick were all named to the all-tournament team, with Milnick gathering tournament MVP honors.

COACH BAYER SAYS

• On the team's gritty performance – "I'm extremely proud of our resilience today. We showed incredible fight on that fifth set. Harding had control of the momentum in sets three, four, and five. We were just able to grind out the last five points."
• On the Tech fans – "We had an awesome crowd that traveled to cheer us on. We have had a great support system this season. I was glad we were able to bring the championship trophy back to Arkansas Tech and the Russellville community."
• On key performances by Madison Nagel and Amanda Milnick - "Amanda played amazing in the tournament, especially in the finals. It was a long match with a lot of long rallies. She was able to get to everything and deliver a settable ball to our hitters. I was also pleased with Madi's heart today. She displayed senior leadership and grit at its finest."
• On the grueling pace of the match – "We were able to control the first set by serving tough and getting them out of system. They controlled sets three and four by playing great defense. We weren't used to such long rallies. Our hitters had to transition more than they used to. It wore on us a little."