BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene closed out its home slate Thursday evening inside the Sawyer Center, but Southwestern Oklahoma State proved too much to handle as the Crimson Storm fell 3-0 in Great American Conference play.

Southern Nazarene (8-16, 3-9 GAC) looked to build momentum early, keeping things close in the opening frame before the Bulldogs (11-13, 9-3 GAC) pulled away early taking a 5-1 lead. A kill from Riley Richardson and an ace from Kate Wright put the Storm within two, but another run for the Bulldogs allowed them to take the opening set 25-13. Despite strong defensive plays from SNU, SWOSU's efficient .367 hitting percentage in the first set set the tone for the night.

Southwestern picked up right where they left off jumping out to another early lead, 7-1. The Storm looked to find a rhythm in the second set, with Kate Wright and Hannah Morgan leading the charge at the net, but SNU continued to play catch up. The Storm's attack improved to a .258 hitting percentage and hung within striking distance for most of the frame, but SWOSU again used a late surge to claim the 25-18 win.

Set three saw another early run for the Bulldogs' as their offense caught fire to lead 9-3. The Storm battled to extend rallies and earned key points from Wright and Jaidyn Reid, but the Bulldogs' balanced attack helped them secure the final set 25-13 to complete the sweep.

Next Up

The Crimson Storm will host Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday, November 4 at 6:00 pm inside the Sawyer Center. The last time these two squads met was on September 25 in Alva as the Rangers swept the Crimson Storm on the road.