BETHANY, Okla. — After playing the first eight matches away from home, Southern Nazarene returned to the Sawyer Center and got off to a blazing start against Southwestern Oklahoma State in a 3-1 (25-13, 17-25, 25-22, 25-22) win.
 
After a game that saw 16 ties and nine lead changes, the win got the Crimson Storm (5-4, 1-0 GAC) off on the right foot in Great American Conference play. SNU held SWOSU (2-9, 0-1 GAC) to a .109 hitting percentage, while also totaling 61 kills in the process. Courtney Bowie led the way for the Storm with 14 kills and four blocks. Freshman Bailee Turang had an impressive Sawyer Center debut finishing with 13 kills, two blocks, and 12 digs as she ignited the SNU student section all night long. McKayla Benner also had 12 kills as well as six blocks for the Crimson Storm, and Makenna Hunter finished with nine kills, as she hit .389 to lead the team. Abbey Bell had two aces to go along with 21 digs, which was a game-high for the senior. Elyse Berlin posted her third double-double, as she finished with 13 digs to compliment her 48 assists. Hannah Davis also finished with 14 digs.
 
The Crimson Storm jumped off to a quick 8-3 lead in the first set and didn't take their foot off the gas. SNU cruised in the first set by taking it 25-13, led by five kills from Bowie. The defending conference tournament champion Bulldogs responded in the second set by using a 13-6 run to close the set and knot the match up a 1-1.
 
SNU returned from intermission on a good note, getting off to a nice 19-13 lead in the third set before SWOSU made things interesting by cutting the lead to two at 24-22, but Hunter closed the set with an kill to put the set away.
 
The Bulldogs started the fourth set with an 8-6 lead, before the Crimson Storm hopped on a 6-1 run, capped off by a kill from Bowie to lead 12-9. SWOSU cut the lead to one three more times with the final one coming at 22-21. The Storm got back-to-back kills fro Turang and Bowie to get match point at 24-21 before Bowie polished the match off with a kill
 
The Crimson Storm out dug Southeastern Oklahoma State 82-73 and had nine blocks to SWOSU's six.