DES MOINES, Iowa – Oklahoma City University split its volleyball matches in the Grand View Tournament Saturday at the Johnson Wellness Center.
The Stars took a 26-24, 25-17, 25-11 victory over Trinity Christian (Ill.) before dropping a 25-17, 18-25, 25-22, 27-25 decision to 24th-ranked Grand View (Iowa) on Saturday. Oklahoma City moved to 13-8 on the season.
Against Trinity Christian, Sophia Salak dished out 37 assists to go with three blocks. Ella Lofton came up with 10 kills and 10 digs, while Ruby Kelley delivered 10 kills and three blocks.
Catelyn Vargas chipped in eight kills, and Josie Thomas picked up eight digs for OCU. Olivia Nutter added five kills and six blocks, while Kenady Bertling provided five kills and three blocks.
OCU erased a 17-13 first-set deficit. Lofton tied the set 22-22 on a kill, then the Stars followed up with two points in a row.
In the second set, Bertling and Lofton smacked kills to put OCU ahead 23-15. Lofton's kill gave the Stars a 23-10 advantage in the third set.
Against Grand View, Lofton paced OCU with 16 kills and 20 digs. Salak, a senior from McKinney, Texas, accumulated 43 assists, 11 digs and three blocks.
Lofton, a senior from Cedar Park, Texas, tallied her 11th double-double of the year while equaling her career high for digs. Lofton set her career best with 20 digs against Texas Wesleyan on April 10 in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship.
Kelley, a freshman from Mustang, Okla., turned in 12 kills and two blocks, and Thomas, a freshman from Choctaw, Okla., posted 17 digs. Nutter, a senior from Plano, Texas, put up eight kills and three blocks, while Bertling and Vargas each registered seven kills.
In the second set, Lofton pounded a pair of kills, while Thomas served up an ace to give Oklahoma City a 19-11 advantage.
In the fourth set, Bertling hammered a kill to put the Stars ahead 25-24. Grand View responded with the next three points.
OCU returns to conference play with a 7 p.m. contest Tuesday against Central Christian (Kan.) in McPherson, Kan.
