ALVA, Okla. - Through two sets of their match on Thursday night, the Southern Nazarene University volleyball team was in good position to pick up a third victory in Great American Conference play. The Crimson Storm were on the road to take on the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rangers, and SNU had a 2-0 lead looking to finish off the sweep.

Unfortunately for SNU, they were unable to close the match out.

SNU (10-5, 2-1 GAC) began to make mistakes in their offensive attack, and NWOSU (10-6, 2-1 GAC) picked up 11 blocks in the final three sets as the Rangers came from behind to win the match in five sets.

SNU took nine of the first 13 points in set one, and in that span, Bailee Turang notched three kills as the Crimson Storm took control early. After a pair of NWOSU kills, SNU put together a 7-2 run that stretched their lead to 16-8, and they added another 6-1 spurt on their way to the 25-18 set win. SNU opened the second set on a 5-1 run as Turang and Kayla Thomas continued to lead the offense, but NWOSU rallied to tie things quickly, and the set remained tight through the middle stages. With the Storm trailing 16-15, Meagan Ellis picked up a kill to tie the score that ignited a 8-1 run that gave SNU a 23-17 lead on their way to the 25-21 set win that gave the Storm a 2-0 lead in the match.

The teams split the first 24 points of the third set evenly, but with the score tied at 12, Northwestern Oklahoma State went on a 9-0 run to take control of the set on their way to a 25-19 set win to extend the match. SNU won the first four points of the fourth set, but another 9-0 run gave NWOSU a lead they did not relinquish in the set. SNU closed the gap to 16-13 at one point before a 5-0 run gave the Rangers some breathing room, and NWOSU took the set 25-16 to force a fifth and deciding frame. The Storm scored first in the fifth stanza on an ace from Madeline Lynch, but NWOSU answered with a 5-1 run to take a 5-2 lead. SNU pulled to within two at 7-5, but a 5-0 run for the Rangers helped them close out the set 15-8 and the match 3-2.

Turang had her seventh double-double of the season with 13 kills and 13 digs. Thomas led all players with 18 kills in the match, and she hit .318 on the night. Kylie Smith dished out 48 assists in the match, Logan Matthews had 21 digs, Ellis added 12 digs, and Lynch had 10 digs.

SNU will step out of conference play on Saturday when they head to Fort Smith, Arkansas to take on the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions (9-2). The match is scheduled for 2 p.m.