Box Score

BETHANY, Okla. — It may have not been the prettiest win of the year, but the fact is it was still a win and that means Southern Nazarene is off to the best start in the 11 seasons that SNU Head Coach Kevin Ingram has been at the helm. SNU outlasted future Great American Conference foe East Central, 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-20, 17-15) in the only five-set match of the year so far for the Crimson Storm.

“There were a lot of great things we did tonight, but we still didn't play up to our potential,” said Ingram. “Sometimes things just don't go your way, but if you can find a way to win when it's ugly you can win when things are going well.”

The win pushes SNU to 8-1 on the year after the previous best start for Ingram was back in 2003 at 7-1.

Natalia Oliveira led the way for SNU with a 20-20 night as she ripped 21 kills and had 20 digs.

“She will put this team on her back when she needs to,” said Ingram. “She's has that mentality of when it's crunch time, she wants the ball. It takes a special player to be like that. Nat will do whatever she needs to get this team a win.”

Taylor Jacobs and Ellen Martin combined for 30 kills and 15 digs as Jacobs had 16 kills and seven digs while Martin posted 14 kills and eight digs. Kaylee Piatt had a career-high 53 assists and notched her fourth double-double of the season with 11 digs. She also had two aces and two blocks.

KateLyn Biddy obliterated her career-high for digs as she posted 35. Emily Troup also notched double figures in digs with 12 while Jamie Hope added four blocks.

ECU more than doubled SNU in blocks at 12-5 and out dug SNU 105-102, but the Storm held the Lady Tigers to just a .155 (56-25-200) clip.

Southern Nazarene jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set, but East Central answered with a 10-5 run to lead 11-9. The Lady Tigers led 19-16 later in the set when a Kira Roberts kill sparked a 5-1 run as the Storm retook the lead at 21-20. ECU answered with the next two points before SNU tied it at 22. The Lady Tigers though finished off the set with three straight points to lead 1-0 in the match.

In the second set, the Crimson Storm held a 9-7 lead early in the second, but ECU used an 8-2 run to take a 16-11 lead. Oliveira then sparked a run of five straight as the Storm tied it at 16. After an SNU error gave ECU a 17-16 lead, the Storm answered with a 4-0 run capped by an Oliveira kill to lead 20-17. The Lady Tigers bounced right back with a 5-1 run to lead 22-21, but an ECU error ignited a 4-0 run for SNU to end the set and tie the match at 1-1.

Neither team led by more than two at any point in the third set until the Crimson Storm got a pair of errors and a kill from Roberts to complete a 3-0 run and give SNU a 20-17 lead. SNU cruised from there to lead 2-1 in the match.

SNU took an early 8-5 lead in the fourth set and led 12-9 before the Lady Tigers opened up an 20-14 lead with an 11-2 run. ECU led 21-15 before SNU scored three straight points, including a Piatt ace and a Hope kill to cut it to 21-18, but that was as close as the Storm came as they fell 25-20.

The Lady Tigers opened the final set with a 3-1 lead, but SNU got behind the serve of Troup as she led a string of seven straight points to put SNU up 8-3. ECU brought it within two at 8-6, but SNU stretched it out to a 14-10 lead and held match point. The Lady Tigers then answered with four straight to tie it at 14 and each traded a point before Jacobs and Oliveira put the game away with back-to-back kills.

SNU will now travel to the Hastings (Neb.) Quality Inn Classic where they will play two matches each Friday and Saturday.