WICHITA, Kan. – Oklahoma City University won 25-23, 25-19, 25-27, 25-21 over Friends (Kan.) on Saturday at the Garvey PE Center in its national-tournament debut in the NAIA Volleyball Championship Opening Round.
The Stars (23-11) advanced to the NAIA Championships on Nov. 30-Dec. 4 at the Tyson Event Center and Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa.
OCU pushed its way among the final 24 teams in the NAIA which will be placed into six pools for three days of round-robin play. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the single-elimination bracket starting Dec. 3. The championship match will take place at 8 p.m. Central time Dec. 4.
Xiaoting Ma, a senior from Dalian, China, equaled her single-match program record with 28 kills for OCU. She finished with 16 digs.
Raissa Santos, a junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, recorded 15 kills, 17 digs and two aces, while Alex Benbrook, a junior from Enid, Okla., totaled 12 kills and six blocks for the Stars.
OCU clinched the match by holding off Friends in the final set. Ma knocked down a kill to give the Stars a 21-19 edge.
Rexanne Schilowsky kept Friends in the match with a couple of kills. Her second kill cut OCU's lead to 23-21. Santos answered with a kill to give the Stars match point.
Benbrook and Taylor Rowton teamed on a block to secure the OCU victory.
In the first set, OCU erased a 12-10 deficit with a 7-2 run. Benbrook had a kill, a solo block and a block assist during that stretch. Benbrook knocked down a kill to put the Stars up 17-14.
Santos gave OCU set point on a kill, but Friends answered on kills by Carrie Kuhn and Jessica Mullen. Rowton finished the set with a kill.
In the second set, the Stars scored four consecutive points to create an 11-7 edge. Ma pounded down a kill, then Benbrook socked down two kills to cap the OCU run. Friends answered with a 5-0 run to cut its deficit to 19-16.
OCU had the final three points in the set as Ma nailed kills to account for all three points.
Friends built a 7-2 advantage en route to the win in the fourth set. Friends got to set points three times before closing out the set. Ma and Rowton had kills to extend the set.
