ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Northwestern Oklahoma State Volleyball came back on Thursday night to secure a 3-2 comeback win over Arkansas Monticello after trailing 2-0. The Rangers battled to a 20-18 set five victory.
The win improves the Rangers to 10-7 on the season with a 4-2 GAC record as Arkansas Monticello drops to 4-12 on the season with a 0-6 conference mark.
Erika Ascencio Soriano led the way with 18 kills in the five set match as Carmae Jones led with seven blocks. Mikayla White had 26 assists and Brianda Diaz with 19 digs.
SET ONE:
The Rangers opened the scoring with a kill by Carmae Jones followed by a Diaz service ace for a 2-0 lead. Arkansas Monticello evened the score at 3-3 for the second tie early in the set. The Rangers scored three straight after a Mariela Jimenez kill followed by two more Ranger kills. The Blossoms answered with four straight for a 7-7 tie. After the fourth tie at 8-8 the Rangers jumped out to a 12-9 lead. Arkansas Monticello scored four straight after three straight kills and a Ranger error taking a 15-13 lead over the Rangers. Jimenez was able to tie the opening set off an assist by Hennesys Lalane before a big block by Lalane for a 17-17 score. Arkansas Monticello then scored off back to back blocks taking a 22-20 lead in which they never lost, closing out the 22-20 victory over the Rangers in the opening set 25-21 and a 1-0 match lead.
SET TWO:
The Rangers opened the scoring again in the second set before Arkansas Monticello took a 2-1 lead. It was then tied at 4-4 off a Ranger error. Brooke Miller picked up her first kill of the match to tie the score 5-5. Set two continued to go back and forth as a block by Carmae Jones had the score tied 9-9. Arkansas Monticello slowly took the lead scoring seven straight points after a 12-12 tie for a 19-12 lead. The Blossoms closed out set two with a 25-17 victory over the Rangers taking a 2-0 match lead on Northwestern.
SET THREE:
Northwestern, looking to extend the match, jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after a kill and a block by Carmae Jones for a 2-0 lead. Arkansas Monticello though later tied the set at 5-5 before the Rangers started gaining control of the set. A block by Hennesys Lalane carried the momentum as the Rangers took a 10-7 lead over the Blossoms. Erika Ascencio Soriano helped continue to lead the charge for the Rangers firing off a kill assisted by Mikayla White as the Rangers opened a 14-10 lead. Monticello climbed as close as 17-15 before the Rangers regained slight control with a kill by Jimenez taking a 19-16 lead. Arkansas Monticello cut the deficit to one at 21-20 before a service error swung it back into the Rangers favor scoring the final four points and the last on a giant block from Jimenez for the 25-20 victory as the Rangers looked to comeback now down 2-1 in the match.
SET FOUR:
The Rangers, looking to continue to comeback in the match, started set four with the first two points and seven of the first eight. The Rangers had three blocks in those first seven points, as Mikayla White and Carmae Jones gave the Rangers the 7-1 lead. After the Rangers forced the Blossoms into a timeout after an error the Ranges led 9-3. Ece Ozdemire added a kill assisted by Karsyn Smith as the Rangers took a 14-7 lead. Northwestern, continuing the run, took a double digit lead at 18-8 following a block by Jimenez and White. Arkansas Monticello trying to comeback cut it to 19-15 but the Rangers took over once more as a by Shreffler and Ozdemire had the Rangers back in front 23-15. Northwestern closed out the set win 25-16 evening the match at 2-2.
SET FIVE:
In the final set as the Rangers had momentum Erika Ascencio Soriano fired off the first kill for a 1-0 followed by a block for a 2-0 lead. The set became super close though as the Blossoms continued to battle featuring four different lead changes before the Rangers brought a two point lead back at 8-6 following an error and a kill by Ozdemir. However the visitors tied the set again at 8-8, as the fifth and final set continued to go back and forth. The set had ten tied scores all the way to an extended period of 18-18 before a kill by Ascensio Soriano, followed by a Jimenez service ace gave the Rangers the 3-2 match win and 20-18 set victory.
The Rangers will be back in action on Friday afternoon at 4:00 PM against Southern Arkansas to close out the two match week.
