HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Northwestern Oklahoma State women's volleyball dropped a heartbreaker to top-seeded Harding University (23-7) in the opening round of the 2018 Great American Conference Volleyball Championships Thursday, ending its 2018 season.
"The girls showed a lot of resiliency tonight" said Ranger head coach Jeremy White. "They proved that Northwestern Volleyball should not be underestimated. I'm very proud of them."
After stumbling out of the gate and losing the first set 25-17, the Rangers (18-14) raced out to a 2-1 match lead thanks to a balanced offensive attack with four different Rangers reaching double digit kills. Led by Hannah Williams, Jennifer Eubanks, Kaydee Honeycutt and Brooklynn Hesson, the Rangers had the number one seed up against the ropes heading into the fourth set.
Riding the momentum, Northwestern opened the fourth set with a 7-3 advantage before the Bisons answered with 18 of the next 24 points to tie the match up at two sets apiece.
"We have a lot of weapons on the offensive side of the ball, and a balanced attack like we have doesn't allow teams to key in on one person or position. We just felt like we could score from anywhere against Harding."
The fifth and final set provided back-and-forth action that had everyone inside Bank OZK Arena on their feet. Neither team led by more than two points, and the score was tied nine times in the first to 15 tie-breaker. After the Rangers went ahead 13-12, Harding rallied for three straight points to end the Rangers hopes of an upset.
Setter Kaitlyn Robinson recorded her second 50-assist game of the season and Tobi-Rae Barker and Dani Dagley impressed on the defensive side of the ball, consistently extending plays for the Rangers when it looked like all hope was lost. Barker led the red-and-black with 21 digs, while Dagley and Cassidy Hackett added 11 each. Barker also led all players with four service aces.
"Tobi and Dani both had great effort" White said. "They've been the foundation of our defense all year and they showed why tonight."
After making just one GAC tournament appearance in its first five seasons in the league, Northwestern has now earned back-to-back berths to Hot Springs, but the Rangers aren't satisfied. White and his team know that they can compete (and win) against the best in the conference.
"Tonight was a great thing for Northwestern Volleyball" said White. The experience our younger kids received was tremendous and will pay dividends going into next year. It's always better when returners know what it's like to compete in big-time matches.
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