OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University dispatched of Panhandle State 25-15, 25-21, 25-23 on Saturday afternoon at Abe Lemons Arena. 

Sophia Salak handed out 43 assists for OCU. The Stars upped their record to 9-5, 8-2 in Sooner Athletic Conference volleyball. 

Oklahoma City entered into a four-way tie for first place in the SAC with Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas), Texas Wesleyan and Wayland Baptist (Texas) with an 8-2 league mark. The Stars take on Texas Wesleyan at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8 at Abe Lemons Arena. 

Salak, a senior from McKinney, Texas, collected 40 assists for the fifth time this season while adding three aces and two blocks. Ella Lofton, a senior from Cedar Park, Texas, totaled 13 kills and eight digs for Oklahoma City. 

Ruby Kelley, a freshman from Mustang, Okla., reached double figures in kills for the third time in 2021 with 11 kills, and Catelyn Vargas, a junior from Lubbock, Texas, supplied the Stars with 10 kills and four digs. 

OCU's Josie Thomas, a freshman from Choctaw, Okla., delivered 13 digs, while Rylee Steward, a sophomore from Edmond, Okla., put up her season highs with eight kills and four blocks. 

Lofton and Steward pounded kills to spark a 5-0 run that created a 13-6 OCU cushion.  

Panhandle State sliced OCU's lead in the second set to 23-20, but the Stars put away the set. 

In the third set, Steward and Vargas combined on a block to give OCU an 18-9 advantage. Panhandle State rallied to shrink the Oklahoma City lead to 24-23, but Vargas crushed a kill to wrap up the win.