OKLAHOMA CITY – Texas Wesleyan slipped past Oklahoma City University 25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-13 on Friday night at Abe Lemons Arena.
Josie Thomas collected a Stars-record 39 digs. Oklahoma City went to 9-6, 8-3 in Sooner Athletic Conference volleyball.
Thomas, a freshman from Choctaw, Okla., turned in the 21st 30-dig performance in Oklahoma City history. Thomas surpassed the 36 digs Isabel Harwell had at Evangel (Mo.) on Aug. 16, 2019 and the record total Dani Chase racked up against Midland (Neb.) on Sept. 1, 2017. Harwell posted OCU's last 30-dig outing on Dec. 4, 2019 in the NAIA Championships in Sioux City, Iowa.
Sophia Salak accumulated a season-high 55 assists for her 10th career 50-assist performance of her OCU career. She tied her season bests with 14 digs, three aces and three blocks. Salak, a senior from McKinney, Texas, boosted her career assist total to 2,998, leaving her 37 assists shy of tying the Oklahoma City all-time assist record of 3,035 compiled by Erin Hirt in 2006-07.
In the fifth set, Ella Lofton notched a kill to cut the Stars' deficit to 14-13. Nyia Anderson had the winning kill for Texas Wesleyan. Kenady Bertling's kill sliced Texas Wesleyan's lead to 13-12. Bertling and Salak registered a block to leave OCU behind 12-11. Texas Wesleyan picked up four points in a row to move ahead 8-4 in the fifth set.
In the fourth set, OCU built a 7-3 lead after Lofton's solo block. Olivia Nutter delivered a pair of kills to help the Stars move ahead 22-16.
In the second set, the Stars secured the set as Ruby Kelley smacked a kill and Dylan Sokolosky landed an ace.
Lofton, a senior from Cedar Park, Texas, reeled in a season-best 17 kills and 16 digs for her sixth double-double of the year. Kelley, a freshman from Mustang, Okla., piled up a season-high 16 kills, while Nutter, a senior from Baytown, Texas, recorded a season-best 12 kills.
Sokolosky, a freshman from Oklahoma City, provided the Stars with a season-high 13 digs, and Catelyn Vargas, a senior from Lubbock, Texas, totaled 10 kills, three aces and three digs.
Texas Wesleyan stopped OCU's winning streak in the series at 14 matches. Texas Wesleyan won against the Stars for the first time since Oct. 30, 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Stars face Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena.
30-Dig Club
Oklahoma City University
39—Josie Thomas vs. Texas Wesleyan, Oct. 8, 2021
36—Dani Chase vs. Midland, Sept. 1, 2017; Isabel Harwell at Evangel, Aug. 16, 2019
34—Meghann Turner at Lubbock Christian, Sept. 23, 2006; Shelbey Veselka at Wayland Baptist, Sept. 22, 2007; Shelbey Veselka at Southern Nazarene, Oct. 14, 2008
33—Nicole Gruenbacher at Southern Nazarene, Oct. 25, 2007; Lauren Hermes vs. Southwestern Christian, Sept. 11, 2018; Lauren Hermes vs. Southwestern Christian, Nov. 9, 2018 in Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament; Shelbey Veselka vs. Evangel, Sept. 26, 2008
32—Danielle Robison vs. McPherson, Sept. 1, 2012; Danielle Robison vs. Southwestern Assemblies of God, Sept. 30, 2013
31—Lauren Hermes vs. Texas Wesleyan, Nov. 10, 2018 in Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament; Kelley Shiels vs. Evangel, Sept. 6, 2014
30—Dani Chase vs. Southwestern Oklahoma State, Oct. 4, 2017; Victoria Cross vs. Sterling, Sept. 10, 2011; Nicole Gruenbacher vs. Texas-Brownsville, Nov. 17, 2006 in NAIA Region VI Tournament at Houston; Isabel Harwell at Morningside, Dec. 4, 2019 in NAIA Championships at Sioux City, Iowa; Lauren Hermes vs. Texas Wesleyan, Oct. 20, 2018; Maryna Verbovetska vs. John Brown, Oct. 4, 2007; Maryna Verbovetska vs. Lubbock Christian, Nov. 10, 2007 in Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament at Plainview, Texas
