PARKVILLE, MO.– The Oklahoma City University Stars volleyball team played two more matches inside the Breckon Sports Center at the Park Invitational on Saturday. OCU began early at 10 a.m. with a matchup against the Bethel Threshers. The Stars grinded their way to a win in their first game before eventually surrendering the second game against Saint Mary (Kan.). Both matches went to five sets and featured stellar, exciting play from both the Spires and the Stars. 

Game 1 Set Results vs Bethel (Kan.)
The Stars won the match in five sets: 25-20, 19-25, 16-25, 25-20, 15-12

How It Happened 
OCU found themselves entrenched in a tight battle early in the first set when they held a  16-12 lead against the Threshers. The Stars stretched their lead to 17-12 when Kaylie Marshall executed a back-line kill on a Natalie Adams assist. 

Later in the first set, after the Threshers put together a scoring run to narrow the gap to 18-19, OCU was gifted its 20th point of the set on a service error by Bethel. Coach Kristen Coventon's team won the first set on an error by Cameron Offerle.

The Threshers controlled the middle sets, Bethel eliminated errors in the third set after committing seven in the opening set.

Going into the third set, the Stars had produced two more attacks than their opponent and had committed four fewer attacking errors. The Stars found themselves down 4-9 early in the third set. Katelynn Stephenson recorded her 10th dig in the set, but ultimately Bethel pulled away and won the third set 25-16.

In the fourth set, the Stars managed an 8-6 lead early when Adams assisted on a Grace Smallwood kill–an all too familiar sight on Saturday. Also in the fourth set, Small recorded a double-double, and Marshall notched her 10th dig of the contest.

Before a 3-0 run by the Stars, the match was tied at 14-14 in the fourth set. Adams recorded her 33rd assist of the game on a Maddie Edwards kill, resulting in the 20th point of the set for OCU. 

Oklahoma City cemented a fourth-set win on a Marshall service ace. 



Fifth Set Madness
OCU took an early 5-3 lead in the pivotal fifth set, with Smallwood accounting for three of the first five points scored in the set for the Stars. Edwards recorded her 11th kill on Adam's 40th assist, and the pair extended the OCU lead to 11-7. The Stars went on a 4-0 scoring run before Bethel answered with a run of their own, pulling within one point. 

The set and game point were recorded when the Threshers committed yet another error. Bethel committed 10 errors between the fourth and fifth sets. 



General

• Four Stars notched 10 or more digs– Stephenson (15), Marshall (13), Smallwood (13), and Ryan Leland (11). 
• Adams recorded 40 or more assists in three straight games after her 42-assist effort against Bethel. 

Game 2 Set Results vs Saint Mary (Kan.)

The Stars lost the match in five sets: 21-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-22, 11-15

How It Happened
The Stars and Spires went back and forth in the first set before Saint Mary (Kan.) ultimately won the set. OCU found their groove in the second set in dominating fashion, winning the set 25-15. 

During the third set, neither team was able to distance themselves from the other until USM went on a crucial 4-0 lead late in the set to take a 22-16 lead against OCU. Late errors in the set proved costly and allowed the Spires to take the third set. 

Oklahoma City went down early in the fourth set but was able to tie the set at 10 on an attack error by USM. With the set score in favor of the Spires 17-14, OCU then scored six straight points to take a 20-17 lead. The 24th and 25th points of the set were assisted on by Adams and killed by Marina Kalajdzic and Smallwood. 

Kalajdzic set a career high for kills in a game (11). 

Out of Gas
In the fifth set, OCU seemed to lose a gear. The volleys throughout both of Saturday's matches were high-energy and high-intensity. Coach Coventon mentioned how the string of games could have had an impact on the team, "I think the long weekend got the best of us in that third match." Later adding, "We looked a little tired, but ultimately did a good job of pushing it to five."

Onward and Forward
Much optimism about the season so far can be had, considering the highly competitive non-conference schedule Coach Coventon scheduled for her team and the results of those matchups.

"Overall, I feel like during this preseason we have taken giant strides forward….This preseason was very difficult, but I think we set ourselves up to be successful in conference play,"  stated Coventon.

On the Radar
OCU will get some rest before opening Sooner Athletic Conference play on Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. with a matchup against the Lions of Nelson University. The Stars will host their home opener against Nelson at the Freede Center.


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