RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech volleyball team finished their week of action unbeaten after beating Northwestern Oklahoma at home, 3-1.
With the win, the Golden Suns improved to 12-9 overall and 6-3 in the GAC.
In the first set, the Golden Suns rebounded from a relatively slow start and used a four-point run to take an 8-7 lead. The set stayed close over the next bit of action, but the Golden Suns were able to pull away and took a four-point lead after another four-point run broke a 13-all tie.
Northwestern fought back and got within a point of the Tech lead, 19-18, but the Golden Suns put the match away, scoring six of the next seven points in the set.
NWOSU would win the second set and used a 6-0 run to flip a one-point deficit into a five-point lead, 16-11. The Golden Suns got within three points on a couple of occasions, but the Rangers kept Tech at bay to even the match at a set apiece.
The Rangers then jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third set and held a 9-6 advantage when the Golden Suns took control of the set. Tech would rip off seven-straight points to flip the score in their favor, 13-9. NWOSU got as close a point, 13-12, but a 3-0 spurt by the Golden Suns kept them in front and in control.
NWOSU had a couple more surges in them, pulling within a point at 22-21 and again at 24-23, but the Golden Suns were able to secure the third set, 25-23.
After close play early in the fourth set, the Golden Suns pushed a lead out to eight points at 16-8. Later the lead grew as high as 10 points at 23-12, before the Golden Suns finished with a set four victory of that margin, 25-15.
Statistically, the Golden Suns had three players with double-digit kills and were led by
Savannah Meyer and her 17 kills.
Madison Crum and
Erika Hernandez were next with 11 each. Hernandez added 7.0 blocks while Meyer and Crum each had six digs.
Samantha Wojtowicz led in digs with 27 while
Kenzie Garrett paced the team in assists with 28.
Kylie Lambert split setting duties with Garrett and totaled 21 of her own.
The Golden Suns will now prepare for a week on the road, playing at Southeastern Oklahoma next Thursday and then East Central on Friday.
