ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Oklahoma City University took a pair of five-set losses to top-25 competition Lindenwood (Mo.) and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) on Friday in the Lindenwood Invitational at the Robert Hyland Performance Center.
The Stars (13-9) fell 25-22, 17-25, 25-14, 17-25, 18-16 to Olivet Nazarene, ranked 23rd in NAIA volleyball, and 18-25, 25-21, 25-19, 27-29, 15-8 to 24th-ranked Lindenwood.
Against Lindenwood, OCU forced the fifth set with a late fourth-set rally. In the fourth, OCU overcame a 24-17 deficit.
Xiaoting Ma pounded out four kills in a row to spark OCU. Torrie Flynn added a kill to make it 24-23.
Kelsey Kennedy had an attack error then a kill to make it match point again for Lindenwood. Ma and Raissa Santos had kills to give the Stars set point at 26-25.
Santos' kill brought up set point at 27-26, then Vicky Murphy nailed a kill for set point at 28-27 for OCU. Alex Benbrook's kill clinched the fourth set for the Stars.
In the fifth set, OCU led 6-5 before Lindenwood seized the lead with five consecutive points.
Ma, a senior from Dalian, China, notched 25 kills and 21 digs for OCU. Santos, a junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, rang up 12 kills and a team-high 27 digs for the Stars.
Murphy added 11 kills, and Benbrook contributed 10 kills and five blocks. Danielle Robison amassed 56 assists, eight digs and three blocks, while Kayli Jordan picked up 24 digs.
Against Olivet Nazarene, the Stars scored the first five points of the fifth set. Olivet rallied to tie the score 7-7 when Katherine Hozian and Rachel Raynor teamed on a block.
Olivet Nazarene reached match point three times before coming away with the win. Sara Byrne and Therese Byrne combined on a block to put Olivet ahead 14-13. Sara Byrne's kills made it 15-14 and then 17-16. Sara Byrne also knocked down the match-clinching kill.
Flynn and Ma had a block to tie the set 15-15, then Santos banged down a kill to provide OCU a 16-15 lead and match point. Therese Byrne answered for Olivet to set up Sara Byrne's heroics.
In the fourth set, Flynn and Ma each had two kills to aid OCU in building a 4-0 lead. Ma's kill clinched the set and forced the fifth set.
Ma led OCU with 24 kills to go with 19 digs and two blocks. Benbrook added 14 kills, while Santos compiled 13 kills, 21 digs and two blocks.
Robison amassed 52 assists and eight digs, while Flynn chipped in seven kills and four blocks. Anna Gentry recorded 14 digs.
The Stars take on Union (Tenn.) at 9:30 a.m., then Bryan (Tenn.) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in St. Charles, Mo.
OCU-Olivet Stats
OCU-Lindenwood Stats
