MONTICELLO, Ark.—Southern Nazarene ran their winning streak to four games as they notched their second straight sweep on Thursday evening, taking care of Arkansas Monticello in straight sets (25-19, 25-18, 25-12).
Southern Nazarene (10-9, 5-3 GAC) was never threatened in the match. Arkansas-Monticello (9-12, 3-5 GAC) could not find a rhythm on offense as SNU limited them to just a .030 hitting percentage, their lowest in GAC play. The Blossoms committed 24 hitting errors, while collecting just 27 kills. On the other side, SNU hit a very solid .293. They committed just 9 hitting errors over the three sets.
The Crimson Storm quickly jumped out to a lead, scoring the first five points of the match. From there, Monticello never got back within three points in the first set. SNU kept the lead between three and six points for the entirety of the set before eventually winning 25-19. They hit a phenomenal .370 in that opening game.
SNU built a commanding 15-6 lead in set two after rattling off seven straight points, which included three Peyton Parsons service aces. Monticello attempted to claw their way back into the set and eventually were back within four points, but they never truly had a chance to catch the Crimson Storm, who went on to win set two 25-18.
Southern Nazarene used another 7-0 run in game three to build a lead. The run later swelled to 10-1, leading to a 14-5 advantage for SNU. Already trailing 2-0 in the match and 14-5 in the set, Monticello seemed to lose any life they had left. SNU again easily cruised in the third game, winning 25-12.
It was a full-time effort for the Storm as they earned the sweep without any players reaching double-digit kills. Whitney Bowie nearly got there, totaling a game-high 9 kills. She also added a game-high 4 blocks. Tessa Henry was not far behind, notching 8 kills and 4 digs.
Kaley Brubaker was all over the stat-sheet. She dished out 24 assists, dug out 8 balls, and was opportunistic with 4 kills.
It is another quick turnaround for SNU as they travel over from Monticello to Magnolia tomorrow afternoon to take on Southern Arkansas. The Storm have dominated the series over Southern Arkansas, winning each of the last eight matchups. First serve is set for 4:00 p.m. in Magnolia, Arkansas.
