BELLEVUE, Neb. – Central Methodist (Mo.) clipped Oklahoma City University in five sets after Oklahoma City fell short to Montana Tech on Saturday at in the Bellevue Labor Day Classic.
The Stars, ranked 19th in NAIA volleyball, fell 25-16, 22-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-7 to 11th-ranked Central Methodist and 25-22, 25-15, 24-26, 25-12 to 17th-ranked Montana Tech. OCU went to 2-4 on the year.
Central Methodist (8-0) erased a 6-2 fifth-set deficit with 12 consecutive points. Ella Lofton served up an ace to give the Stars a 6-2 advantage in the fifth set.
In the third set, Oklahoma City took a 21-10 lead with a 6-0 run. Lofton and Catelyn Vargas sparked the surge with kills, while Sophia Salak notched an ace. Ruby Kelley and Olivia Nutter teamed on a block to secure the set for OCU, giving the Stars a 2-1 lead in the match.
Vargas posted 12 kills and four blocks to lead four Stars with double-figure kills. Lofton supplied OCU with 10 kills and 12 digs, and Nutter and Kenady Bertling each totaled 10 kills and three blocks. Bertling picked up six digs.
Salak piled up 45 assists and 11 digs, while Josie Thomas landed 24 digs. Dylan Sokolosky added nine digs for the Stars.
Against Montana Tech, OCU took the fourth set by closing out the frame with four points in a row. The Stars made up a 24-22 deficit. Bertling and Vargas each hammered a kill, then combined on a block during OCU's run.
Vargas, a junior from Lubbock, Texas, powered the Stars with a career-best 16 kills to go with four digs and two aces. Salak, a senior from McKinney, Texas, racked up 41 assists and 11 digs.
Bertling, a senior from Baytown, Texas, numbered eight kills, six digs and two blocks, and Kelley, a freshman from Mustang, Okla., contributed eight kills and four digs.
Lofton, a senior from Cedar Park, Texas, provided OCU with seven kills and 13 digs. Thomas, a freshman from Choctaw, Okla., honed in on 12 digs.
The Stars return to Sooner Athletic Conference play against John Brown (Ark.) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Siloam Springs, Ark.
