BETHANY, Okla.—A return to the Sawyer Center following a four-game road stand did not go the way Southern Nazarene planned as they found themselves on the wrong end of a three-game sweep (25-22, 25-18, 25-18) at the hands of Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday night.
The Storm (4-5, 0-2 GAC) struggled to slow down a Ranger attack that posted their second highest hitting percentage of the season at .281. The Rangers (2-10, 1-1 GAC) committed just 12 errors in the match, while SNU posted 22 errors in three sets.
Service errors really haunted the Storm in the first set as they committed four straight on four consecutive possessions. This allowed Northwestern to build a 23-17 advantage. SNU did their best to cut into that deficit, bringing the score within two points, but it would be too little too late as back-to-back Kaydee Honeycutt kills would seal it for the Rangers.
Southern Nazarene never led in the second set, committing 11 errors to 13 kills in the set. Following a Bailey Grimes kill that put the score at 6-3 in favor of Northwestern, the Crimson Storm never got any closer as the Rangers extended their lead to 7 points on several occasions, eventually taking the set 25-18.
Things began to spiral for Southern Nazarene midway through the third set. Trailing 12-10, the Storm would give up a 7-0 run that pushed the Rangers six points away from the match. SNU was able to regroup a bit and show signs of life as they put together their own 12-5 run that brought them within two points at 24-22. The Storm were only able to extend match point for so long, though, as the Rangers finally finished off the third set on another Kaydee Honeycutt kill.
Meagan Ellis and Whitney Bowie led the way for the Storm with 9 kills a piece. Breckynn Myers and Kaley Brubaker combined for 39 assists, and Logan Matthews tallied a team-high 13 digs.
The Storm will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to turn around and travel to Durant, Okla. for a meeting with Southeastern Oklahoma State on Thursday night. SNU has won five consecutive contests over Southeastern. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
