WEATHERFORD, Okla. — For the third time in five matches, Southern Nazarene dropped a first set before winning three straight to capture the match.
 
The Crimson Storm (6-6, 1-0 GAC) lost the first set of its Great American Conference opener 12-25 to Southwestern Oklahoma State (4-10, 1-1 GAC), but responded in fashion to win the next three sets, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23.
 
SNU had three players with double-figure kills as Bailee Turang had 11 while Makenna Hunter and Kayla Thomas each head 10. Turang posted her fifth double-double of the year with 10 digs. Hunter also added a career-high five blocks. Kylie Smith dished out 38 assists and was just one dig shy of a career-high with 21. Elyse Berlin and Meagan Ellis each had 15 digs while Ellis had seven kills and three aces. Hannah Davis also had 12 digs to go with six kills and two blocks.
 
SNU as a team had six aces and six blocks. The Storm hit just .119, but held the Bulldogs to a -.156 clip.
 
In the opening set, SWOSU led 9-7 before it went on a 16-5 run to close the set and take a 1-0 lead. The Storm though answered the bell in the second set by opening with a 10-4 run and stretched their lead to 18-11 on a Smith ace to force a SWOSU timeout. The Bulldogs tclosed the gap to 21-18 and came as close as two, at 22-20, before an Ellis kill, and two aces by the freshman, tied the match at 1-1.
 
There were six lead changes in the third set as SWOSU broke a 16-16 tie with three straight points to lead 19-16. The Bulldogs led 23-20 before the Storm scored five straight to take the set and a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs led the fourth set 19-15 before two straight Ellis kills started a 4-0 run for the Storm to tie it at 19. SNU later broke a 22-22 tie with a Thomas ace and a Turang kill to lead 24-22 before another Turang kill ended the match.