HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The Southern Nazarene volleyball team saw their season come to a close on Thursday afternoon as they fell to the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs in four sets in the Quarterfinals of the Great American Conference Championship. 

For Southern Nazarene, making their fifth straight appearance in the Championship, it was their first time being knocked out in the quarterfinals. 

For the match, SNU hit .191 as a team with 48 kills to 18 errors on 157 total attacks. On the other end, the Bulldogs were hot all afternoon as they went for 60 kills to 16 errors on 150 total attacks for a .293 hitting percentage. SWOSU held the advantage in all team categories including digs (79-71), assists (57-43), blocks (8-5), and service aces (11-4).

It was a back-and-forth affair in the first set with the No. 2 seeded team in the GAC holding a slight advantage. Midway through the first set, the Bulldogs used a 4-1 rally to take a 17-12 lead, looking to be in command.

Now leading 21-16, the Crimson Storm began to strike as they mounted a furious comeback behind kills from three kills from freshman Grace Miracle as well as kills by sophomore Kayla Thomas and junior Kylie Smith. In the blink of an eye, SNU rattled off seven straight points to take control of the match at 23-21.

The Crimson Storm would get to set point and Thomas would finish it off with a kill, stunning the Bulldogs in the first set for a 1-0 lead.

SWOSU would open up a lead as big as nine in the second set as SNU could not keep any of the momentum from the first set. The Crimson Storm did put a rally together again, getting it down to four, but the Bulldogs held on to take a 25-20 win and even things at one.

The third set would be no better as a six point rally gave the Bulldogs an 18-10 lead midway through. SNU showed no quit as they rallied for five points of their own to cut the deficit to three, but the set of rallies continued as SWOSU closed the set with seven straight points for a 25-15 win.

In the fourth set, SNU continued to play behind as a seven point rally gave the Bulldogs an 8-2 lead. SNU fought and clawed to get back into the match, but never got closer than four as SWOSU closed the match out and advanced to the GAC Semifinals with a 25-17 set and match win.

Sophomore Meagan Ellis had a great match, leading the Storm with 16 kills and a .297 hitting percentage while Thomas and junior Bailee Turang each added 10 kills a piece. Smith had 40 assists on the day while four different SNU players had aces in Ellis, Turang, Mircale, and Smith.

Defensively, GAC Freshman of the Year Logan Matthews had 18 digs while Smith picked up 13. Senior Makayla Shonamon and Ellis each had 11 digs while Turang added 10. Senior Makenna Hunter picked up four blocks while Smith added three and Ellis had two.

Southern Nazarene closes the 2018 season with a 17-16 overall record while tying for sixth place in the GAC. The team will depart three seniors in Shonamon, Hunter, and Addi Floyd and will move into their offseason program.