ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Southern Nazarene battled one of the Great American Conference's top teams on the road Thursday evening but came up short in a 3-0 loss to Ouachita Baptist.

Southern Nazarene (8-14, 3-7 GAC) entered the match coming off a perfect 3-0 week, looking to hand Ouachita Baptist (20-3, 10-0 GAC) its first conference loss of the season. The Crimson Storm fought hard, but the Tigers held strong to secure the sweep on their home court.

SNU opened the night with plenty of energy, jumping out to a 3-1 lead in the first set behind early kills. The Storm kept things close before back-to-back points from Hannah Morgan and Kate Wright put them ahead 21-20. Ouachita, however, strung together five straight points to rally for a 25-21 win.

In the second set, SNU once again found rhythm as Georgia Byers and Wright fueled a quick 6-3 advantage. The Tigers countered with a 6-1 run to seize momentum midway through. Despite sharp swings from Wright and Byers, the Storm couldn't overcome Ouachita's surge, falling 25-18.

In the third, SNU continued to show grit, taking a 10-7 lead after a pair of kills from Jaidyn Reid and Wright. Ouachita's offense caught fire down the stretch once again, using an 8-2 run to retake control and close out the match with a 25-17 decision.

Next Up

Southern Nazarene continues its Arkansas road trip on Friday, October 24, taking on Henderson State at 4:00 p.m. in Arkadelphia