OKLAHOMA CITY - After dropping the first set the OCU volleyball team storm back to win three straight sets and claim the season series sweep over the Aggies. 

Score    

Oklahoma City 3, Oklahoma Panhandle State 1    

• Oklahoma City (9-7, 8-3 SAC)    
• Oklahoma Panhandle State (3-12, 2-9 SAC)   

Match Summary    

Set 1: 25-23 (OPSU)    

Set 2: 25-21 (OCU)    

Set 3: 25-11 (OCU)    

Set 4: 25-19 (OCU) 

Set 1 

The opening set started out going back and forth with the lead changing sides. OCU took its largest lead at 10-6 after a pair of kills from Rylee Steward and Emma Nickerson. OPSU made its way back tying it up at 12 apiece and rattled off a 5-1 run causing the Stars to take a timeout as the Aggies held an 18-15 lead. The Stars scored three straight out of the timeout with a Nickerson kill to tie it up. OPSU once again regained the lead 23-21 on a kill by Taylore Alsaid. The Stars battled their way back taking advantage of an Aggie attack error followed up with a kill from Michela De Stefano to tie things up yet again. OPSU took a timeout to regroup themselves and came out scoring the next two points on a service error and a setting error on the OCU side to give the Aggies a 25-23 win in the first set.   

Set 2  

The second set started similar to the first with the lead changing hands. Leading 10-8 OCU got out to a 7-1 run on a pair of kills from Nickerson along with Ruby Kelley getting into the mix with a pair of kills as well to put OCU ahead 16-9. With the Stars leading 20-13 the Aggies caught fire with a 7-1 run of their own with the Aggies top hitter Bryanna Rosario cutting the OPSU deficit to one with the score sitting at 21-20. The Stars were able to defend off the momentum built up by OPSU and close out the set on a 4-1 counter with Kelley picking up the two final kills to even up the match with the 25-21 win in set two.    

Set 3  

The Stars came out shining in the third set as Kelley, De Stefano, and Rylee Steward all chipped in to help Oklahoma City out to a 10-3 lead. OCU was able to keep the foot on the pedal and work their way out to an even bigger lead of 20-8. Gabrielle Fjeseth pitched in two kills during that stretch as well as Steward and Nickerson doing their part. OCU closed out the third set by outscoring OPSU 5-3 as Steward added two more kills to her line to give OCU a blowout victory of 25-11.  

Set 4 

Looking to wrap up the match OCU fell behind 5-3 early on. The Stars hit their stride and rattled off a 6-1 run as Fjeseth and Kelley delivered kills to put Oklahoma City ahead 10-6. OCU remained out in front until a 5-0 run from OPSU tied things up at 16 all. The next couple of points traded sides and as the score sat at 18-18 the Stars finished off the fourth set on a 7-1 run as Hannah Grundy picked up two big kills and Steward capped it off with the match-winning kill to send Oklahoma City to a 25-19 victory in set four. 

GAME NOTES  

• Oklahoma City tallied 57 kills on the night making it the second-greatest number of kills the Stars have had this season. OCU finished with a .289 attack percentage with three individual players with double-digit kills.   
• OPSU finished with 35 kills on a .072 hitting percentage.    
• Oklahoma City notched 84 digs making it the second-most digs in a set match and third third-highest total overall.  
• Ruby Kelley achieved her sixth double-double of the season after going for 13 kills and 19 digs. Kelley reaches double-digit kills for the 10th time in 2023.  
• Natalie Adams had a big night passing the ball hauling in 45 assists, her second-highest total of the season so far.  
• Emma Nickerson and Michela De Stefano both reached double-digit kills as De Stefano tied her second-highest amount while Nickerson came one kill shy of tying her highest season total. 
• Kaitlyn Dunlap tallied 20 digs in the match making it the seventh time this season where Dunlap has gone for 15 or more digs.  
• Oklahoma City officially sweeps the regular season series over Panhandle after having already defeated the Aggies back in September. The Stars earned their 14th all-time victory over OPSU moving the series record to 14-2.  

NEXT GAME  

The Oklahoma City volleyball team wraps up the five-game home stand as the Stars will take the court tomorrow with a matchup against Wayland Baptist at 1 PM inside Abe Lemons Arena.