OKLAHOMA CITY – Xiaoting Ma surpassed Oklahoma City University's single-match kill record by knocking down 28 in the Stars' 25-15, 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-12 win over John Brown (Ark.) on Tuesday at Abe Lemons Arena.
Ma, a senior from Dalian, China, topped Amy Clendenin's 27 vs. John Brown on Oct. 31, 2006 in Siloam Springs, Ark. Ma beat her personal best of 26 vs. John Brown on Nov. 13, 2008 in the Sooner Athletic Conference volleyball tournament at Abe Lemons Arena.
Tuesday, Ma accumulated 22 digs and three blocks. Raissa Santos, a junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, chipped in 20 kills and 21 digs for the Stars.
“Sarah (Ma) and Raissa carried us offensively,” OCU coach Jen Gomez said. “Those two were dominant. Their intensity and effort spurred us on.”
OCU overcame a fifth-set 7-5 deficit. Erin Didier staked John Brown to a 7-5 edge with back-to-back kills. Ma answered with consecutive kills to tie the set 7-7.
OCU seized the lead for good with four consecutive points to build a 13-10 advantage. Ma and Santos notched kills, then Torrie Flynn rejected a John Brown attack. Santos' kill put OCU ahead 13-10.
Santos nailed a kill to bring up match point, and Santos again produced a kill to seal the victory.
“It was a hard-fought match,” Gomez said. “We had some great plays from Torrie Flynn and Raissa Santos in the fifth. They propelled us over the edge.”
John Brown forced the fifth set by overcoming OCU's 20-19 edge. Amber Wilson got in on a couple of blocks to build a 22-20 John Brown lead. Wilson had a kill to get John Brown to set point, then Didier added a kill to move the match into the fifth set.
OCU got out to a 7-1 advantage in the first set and a 9-3 en route to the third-set win.
Alex Benbrook, a junior from Enid, Okla., tallied 11 kills and two blocks. Danielle Robison, a freshman from Dallas, piled up 61 assists and 11 digs for the Stars.
OCU faces Mid-America Christian at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Gaulke Activity Center in Oklahoma City.
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