SHAWNEE, Okla. – Oklahoma City University captured its first Sooner Athletic Conference volleyball tournament championship 14-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-21 over Wayland Baptist (Texas) on Saturday at the Noble Complex.
The Stars (22-11) achieved the first of earning a berth in the NAIA Championship Opening Round on Nov. 20. The NAIA will announce national tournament pairings Sunday.
Tournament most valuable player Xiaoting Ma, a senior from Dalian, China, notched 22 kills and 25 digs to lead OCU on Saturday. Raissa Santos, a junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, chipped in 10 kills, 18 digs, two aces and two blocks for the Stars.
OCU restarted its volleyball program in 2006. The Stars advanced to the SAC Tournament championship match in 2007 and the NAIA Region VI Tournament in 2006 and 2007. The Stars came up with the breakthrough win Saturday.
“We've made history,” OCU coach Jen Gomez said. “Nobody will ever take that away from them. That's a special deal.”
Danielle Robison, a freshman from Dallas, recorded 27 assists, six digs and three blocks, while Samantha Ball, a junior from Edmond, Okla., notched 17 assists and 10 digs for OCU.
The Stars' Taylor Rowton, a junior from Edmond, Okla., contributed eight kills and five blocks, and Alex Benbrook, a junior from Enid, Okla., had five kills and eight blocks. Benbrook joined Ma on the all-tournament team.
“I'm proud of the intensity we had,” Gomez said. “We were up and down. Taylor came up big on the right side with some blocks. Xiaoting Ma, she was the MVP. It was a total team effort.”
The Stars shook off a first-set loss to take the next three. In the second set, Ma's kill brought up set point at 24-23. Torrie Flynn supplied a solo block to give OCU the second-set win.
In the third set, Ma knocked down a kill to give OCU an 18-13 cushion and cap a three-point Stars run. OCU picked up three of the final four points of the set. Santos' ace gave OCU set point at 24-20, then Kimberli Harger's attack error decided the set.
In the fourth, OCU overcame a 15-14 deficit. Ma pounded down a kill to start a run of four consecutive OCU points. Rowton then nailed back-to-back kills to help the Stars to an 18-15 edge.
Ma pounded down a kill to give OCU a 24-20 advantage, but Desiree Luevano's kill extended the match for Wayland Baptist. Ma ended the match with a kill.
Stats
Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament
At Shawnee, Okla.
Oklahoma Baptist
Friday's Results
Wayland Baptist def. John Brown, 3-1 (25-18, 27-25, 24-26, 25-14)
Oklahoma City def. Southern Nazarene 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-14)
Wayland Baptist def. Lubbock Christian 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 25-15, 20-25, 15-11)
Oklahoma City def. Oklahoma Baptist 3-2 (30-28, 25-21, 19-25, 13-25, 15-13)
Saturday's Result
Championship
Oklahoma City def. Wayland Baptist, 3-1 (14-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-21)
All-Tournament
Alex Benbrook, Oklahoma City; Sabra Clark, Oklahoma Baptist; Elissa Loynes, Lubbock Christian; Kate Trejos, Wayland Baptist; Anika Voigt, Wayland Baptist.
