The Stars will likely be left out of the national-tournament field to be revealed 10 a.m. CST Monday by the NAIA. OCU reached its highest ranking ever at No. 23, spent four weeks in the top 25 and completed the season 11-0 at home this season. OCU advanced to the SAC Tournament championship match for the third time ever.
Soraru, a sophomore from Mulhouse, France, and Heather Watson from OCU took all-tournament nods. Soraru hit .482 to lead all hitters in the tournament, while Watson, a senior from Edmond, Okla., led the tournament with 12.50 assists per set.
Wayland Baptist's Shahala Hawkins became tournament most valuable player. She knocked down 25 kills.
"It was a great match," OCU coach Kyle Steele said. "Our team fought hard and really had a chance at the end of every set to get wins. We had great offensive production out of our middles, and they couldn't stop Manon."
Soraru posted a .563 hitting percentage. Watson produced 53 assists and seven digs for her fourth 50-assist performance in her OCU career.
Dani Chase, a sophomore from Yukon, Okla., scooped 28 digs for her 11th 20-dig match of the year, and Tori Leisure, a senior from Haslet, Texas, provided the Stars with 15 kills and three blocks. Jami-Rae Renwick, a senior from Emerald Park, Saskatchewan, Canada, added 11 kills for OCU.
"Dani made plays for us all match," Steele said. "The ball just didn't bounce our way some key points in the match. Shahala was stellar for them and really put her team on her back and gave us matchup problems.
"Even with her playing great, we still had chances to win and just came up a little short. I am proud of my team and our effort."
Renwick smacked a kill to cut OCU's first-set deficit to 13-10. Wayland Baptist answered with four points in a row with Hawkins accounting for two kills and a block.
In the second set, Renwick gave the Stars the lead 7-6, and Lindsey Grace tacked on an ace. Leisure and Fia Faa'agi combined on a block to give OCU its largest lead of the set at 22-15. Hawkins had a kill to cut OCU's advantage to 23-20, but Soraru came through with a kill to clinch the set for OCU.
In the third, Leisure kills put the Stars up 22-20, and Faa'agi's kill produced a 23-22 OCU edge. Wayland Baptist stormed back as Chelsey Driskill nailed a kill, then teamed on a block with Malorie Ellis.
In the fourth set, Leisure pounded a kill to put OCU in front 21-20. Cindy Horn provided Wayland a kill to tie the set, then Ellis and Hawkins added blocks. Leisure had a kill to cut Wayland's lead to 24-22, but Hawkins responded with a kill that gave her team the conference tournament championship for the second consecutive year.
 
Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament
Saturday, Nov. 7
Quarterfinals
John Brown def. Southwestern Assemblies of God, 3-0 (25-11, 25-17, 28-26)
Oklahoma City def. Mid-America Christian, 3-0 (25-13, 28-26, 25-22)
Texas Wesleyan def. Southwestern Christian, 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 25-19)
Wayland Baptist def. St. Gregory's, 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-15)
Wednesday's Results
Semifinals
Oklahoma City def. Texas Wesleyan, 3-0 (25-10, 25-22, 25-15)
Wayland Baptist def. John Brown, 3-1 (22-25, 25-13, 25-18, 25-18)
Saturday's Result
Championship
Wayland Baptist def. Oklahoma City, 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-23, 25-22)
 
All-Tournament
Libby Blassingame, John Brown; Chelsey Driskill, Wayland Baptist; Manon Soraru, Oklahoma City; Heather Watson, Oklahoma City; Abby Zipoy, Texas Wesleyan.
Most valuable player: Shahala Hawkins, Wayland Baptist.