MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Northwestern Oklahoma State volleyball showed grit on the road Thursday night, but came up just short in a 3–0 loss to Southern Arkansas in Magnolia, Arkansas. The Rangers battled point-for-point in two tightly contested sets before the Muleriders secured the sweep with scores of 26–24, 25–10 and 26–24.
Northwestern battled hard in the opening set against Southern Arkansas but came up just short, falling 26–24. The Rangers rallied late after trailing by five, fueled by strong serving from Jadyn Padilla, who delivered a pair of aces to swing momentum. Ece Ozdemir had a key kill that tied the set at 24. Despite the late surge, Southern Arkansas managed to close it out with back-to-back points.
Southern Arkansas gained early momentum in the second set, but Rangers kept fighting despite the deficit. Ivanny Blackwood provided a spark for the Rangers with a kill and a block. Despite solid efforts at the net, Southern Arkansas's serving runs proved tough to contain as the Muleriders pulled away. The Rangers fell 25–10 in the set but continued to show flashes of energy and teamwork.
Northwestern came out determined in the third set, matching Southern Arkansas point-for-point in a tightly contested frame. Ozdemir led the Rangers offensively, combining for key kills that helped Northwestern rally from behind midway through the set. Kaylee Swartz and Katherine Harris each contributed late kills that brought the Rangers even at 24–24. Despite strong defensive efforts and smart ball movement from Padilla and Ryann Eastes, the Rangers couldn't complete the comeback as Southern Arkansas edged out the set 26–24. The narrow finish highlighted Northwestern's resilience and ability to battle under pressure late in the match.
The Rangers were led by Ozdemir with nine kills while Blackwood added seven. White added 12 assists, and Eastes finished the game with 11. Blackwood and White, both had two blocks each. Jadyn Padilla led the team in digs with 18 and two aces.
The Rangers will be facing University of Arkansas Monticello tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Monticello, Arkansas.
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