HAYS, KANSAS - The Northwestern Oklahoma State Volleyball team closed out the 2024 Tiger Classic Saturday with two matches. The first was a 3-0 loss to Emporia State before a 3-2 loss to Fort Hays State.
Northwestern on the season is now 3-5 on the year and close the Tiger classic 2-2.
MATCH 1:
Erika Asencio Soriano led the team with eight kills in the match, Carmae Jones with seven blocks, Hennesys Lalane had 15 assists and Brianda Diaz with 10 digs.
The Rangers were the first to score as Diaz started the game with the serve that led to a Emporia State error. The opening set was back and forth for the majority of the opening sequences as three days in the opening 10 points of the match. Emporia then had three straight points to swing the lead in their favor 5-3. The Rangers took the lead after Asencio Soriano started a run with a kill leading to four straight points and a 8-7 Ranger lead. The opening set was then tied 9-9 after a block by Carmae Jones and Ozge Yavuz. Emporia State then scored six straight in response to open a 18-10 lead over the Rangers. Northwestern, looking to climb back into the set, scored four straight on kills by Erika Asencio Soriano and a block by Yavuz and Lalane. Emporia State answered with three straight to push their lead back to 23-15. They closed out the first set win over the Rangers 25-17 to take a 1-0 match lead.
Emporia State, carrying momentum from the first set, took a 5-2 lead over the Rangers to start set two. The Rangers continued to block well as Asencio Soriano and Jones picked up a block to cut the deficit to 7-4. Emporia State answered with five straight taking a 12-4 lead over the Rangers. Macy Shreffler started a 3-0 run firing off a kill but Emporia State took a 20-14 lead over the Rangers and continued a 5-0 run from there to build a double digit advantage at 24-12 before winning the set 25-16 and taking the 2-0 match lead.
The third set the Rangers took a 5-1 advantage to start on a Brianda Diaz serve, forcing three straight attack errors. As Emporia State was trying to climb back the Rangers kept the lead as a kill by Asencio Soriano and Carmae Jones had the Rangers in front 10-7. The three point advantage continued to 14-11 before Emporia State was able to tie the set at 16-16. After a block by Carmae Jones had the Rangers in front 18-16 the set switched in favor of Emporia State. ESU answered with a 9-0 run with 6 kills and two service aces leading to a 25-18 set win over the Rangers and a 3-0 match win.
MATCH 2:
The second match of the day Fort Hays State had the early lead at 1-0. Mariela Jimenez had the first point for the Rangers off an assist from Hennesys Lalane,who later tied the set at two with a kill of her own. The set remained tied through 4-4 before the Rangers took an 8-5 lead on four straight points stated by a kill from Erika Asencio Soriano, and a block by Jimenez. Fort Hays battled back to tie the set at 11-11 with the Rangers. Back and forth the first set continued with a 16-16 tie. A kill by Asencio Soriano pushed the Rangers to a 20-20 tie after trailing by one. For Hays scored two straight taking a 22-20 lead. After a 23-23 tie Fort Hays rattled off back to back kills to take the first set over the Rangers 26-24 and a 1-0 match lead.
In set number two For Hays State struck first and later took a 5-2 lead to start the second set. They continued to control the set holding the three point lead through 11-8. However the Rangers stormed back to tie the set at 11 after a Diaz service ace and two For Hays errors it was tied 11-11. After the set was tied at 13-13, For Hays went on a 9-0 run to take a 22-13 lead over the Rangers. Northwestern then responded with five straight starts by a Ece Ozdemir kill and a block by Jimenez and Lalane as the Rangers cut it to 22-18 after a Fort Hays timeout. For Hays closed out the set victory with a 25-21 victory over the Rangers and a 2-0 match lead.
The Rangers looking to extend the match were in a battle as Fort Hays and the Rangers were tied at 3-3 through the opening of the set after a kill by Jimenez. This was the first of four straight points on two kills by Asencio Soriano and one by Ivanny Blackwood for a 6-3 lead. Fort Hays State came back to tie the score at 6-6. The set remained tied as the two teams traded points and were locked at 12-12 following a Rangers service ace from Ece Ozdemir. This started a 5-0 run where the Rangers opened a 15-12 lead and would not trail again. After a Fort Hays State timeout the run continued to a 8-0 run and a 18-12 lead after a kill from Erika Asencio Soriano assisted by London Hilton. The Rangers continued to control set three as a block by Jones and Yavuz had the Rangers in front 23-15 before closing out a 25-17 set win and bringing the match deficit to 2-1.
As the Rangers looked to carry momentum into the fourth set the Rangers started with a 3-0 run with the first kill by Jimenez, followed by a service ace from Blackwood. Rangers held the lead until 5-5 when Fort Hays State tied it and later took the lead at 6-5. With the Rangers down 7-5 Ozge Yavuz had a kill for the first of seven straight to regain the lead for the rangers at 12-7, after four kills and two blocks. Fort Hays State though started battling back as a couple of kills had them back within two at 14-12. Rangers continued to hold the two point advantage at 17-15 and later 19-17. Fort Hays State climbed back to tie the set at 20-20 but a block from Carmae Jones and a kill from Ece Ozdemir had the Rangers backup two. Carmae Jones closed out the set win with a kill off an assist from London Hilton as the Rangers evened the match 2-2.
Fort Hays State in the fifth set started fast with the first two points of the set. Ozdemir put the Rangers on the board with a kill off a Jimenez assist. An attack error helped the Rangers tie the final set at 2-2 but Fort Hays State responded with five straight points taking a 7-2 lead. Ozdemir killed the run with a kill. Fort Hays State pushed their lead 10-4 as the Rangers called a timeout. Asencio Soriano had a kill out of the timeout but Fort Hays State had four straight after for a 9 point lead before closing out the match win over the Rangers 15-6.
Northwestern will have the home opener on Tuesday evening against East Central to open conference play.
