BETHANY - History was made at the Sawyer Center on Saturday afternoon.

Senior setter Kylie Smith racked up 94 assists for the Southern Nazarene University volleyball team as the Crimson Storm (9-4) split their two matches at the SNU/OBU Volleyball Classic. SNU dropped a heartbreaker in the opening match of the day to William Jewell College (4-6) 3-2, before bouncing back to sweep Southwest Baptist University (2-10) in the tournament finale.

SNU looked good early in their first match. The Storm belted 16 kills in the opening set of play, attacking the ball at a .211 clip as they rolled to a 25-20 set win. WJC built an early 6-4 lead in set two before the set took on a back and forth feel. The lead changed hands four times early in the period, but WJC used a 6-2 run to take a 16-12 lead midway through the frame. SNU was able to trim the deficit to one point twice later in the stanza, but the Cardinals held on for the 25-21 set victory to square the match at one set apiece.

SNU seized the momentum back early in the third set. The Crimson Storm roared out of the gate, building a 14-5 lead, but an 8-1 spurt from the Cardinals closed the gap to 15-13. SNU, however, was able to bounce back, as they put together a 7-2 run to grab a 23-16 lead on their way to the 25-18 set win to give themselves a chance to close out the match.

SNU started quickly again in the fourth stanza, taking five of the first eight points, but WJC refused to go away. A 6-1 run gave the Cardinals a 12-9 lead, and though SNU kept things close, they were unable to draw level in the frame, as WJC took the set 25-20 to force a decisive fifth set. SNU scored the first two points of the fifth period, but a 7-2 William Jewell run gave them a lead they did not relinquish. SNU managed to whittle the margin down to two after staving off a pair of match point opportunities, but an attack error ended the set in a 15-12 WJC win as they completed the 3-2 comeback win.

Statistically, several players stood out for SNU in the match. Kayla Thomas belted a team-leading 18 kills, and she was one of four SNU players to reach double-figures in kills. Bailey Grimes notched 14 kills and participated in three blocks, Bailee Turang recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 12 kills and 21 digs, and Sunny Batschelett added 11 kills. Smith dished up 55 assists and narrowly missed out on a double-double of her own with nine digs, while Madeline Lynch (20), Logan Matthews (14), and Meagan Ellis (11) each reached double figures in digs.

SNU notched 64 kills and 75 statistical points as a team, out-performing WJC in both categories, but the Storm committed 32 attack errors, which proved to be the difference in the match.

The final match got underway nearly an hour late after another five-set match involving William Jewell, but when it did begin, Smith and the SNU offense took center stage.

Smith entered the match needing 38 assists to reach the 3,000-assist plateau, and she picked up helpers on SNU's first three points of the match. She connected with five different hitters in the opening set and recorded 14 assists in the frame as SNU never trailed in the stanza. SNU posted runs of 3-1, 7-1, 4-1, and 5-1 twice in the set, taking the win 25-14.

SNU took an early 6-3 lead in the second set, but SBU rallied to take an 8-7 lead with a 5-1 run. Thomas stepped back at that point and served SNU on a 7-0 spurt that gave the Crimson Storm a lead they held for the rest of the set. Smith notched a dozen assists in the frame, putting her 12 shy of the milestone entering the final frame after SNU won the second set 25-18.

SNU stormed out to a 5-1 lead in the final stanza, and as the set progressed, Smith continued to close in on 3,000. With SNU holding a 20-16 lead, Smith found Grimes for a kill to officially reach the milestone, and Smith added one more helper on match point for good measure, when she sent a pass to Jacy Braziel for a kill to win the set 25-18 and the match 3-0.

Smith became the third member of the 3,000-assist club at SNU, joining Heather Overturf (3,675, 2005-07) and Kaylee Piatt (3,818, 2011-14) in the exclusive group. She has a chance to surpass both players this season, as she now sits at 3,001 career assists.

Turang also surpassed a milestone on the day as she passed the 1,200 kill barrier in the day's first match against William Jewell. She finished the SBU match with 14 kills to lead all attackers, and she now has 1,218 career kills. She needs only 14 kills to move into fourth on SNU's career kills list, which is currently occupied by Taryn Steele (2005, 08-10) at 1,231.

Matthews led the SNU defense with eight digs in the match, and Grimes added nine kills.

SNU will wrap up a six-match home stand on Tuesday night as they head back into Great American Conference play. The Crimson Storm will play host to the Savage Storm of Southeastern Oklahoma State University (1-9, 0-1 GAC) at the Sawyer Center at 7 p.m.