Box Score ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The Ouachita Tigers and Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers traded long rallies, exchanged attacks and made one great defensive play after another, but in the end, errors by the Ouachita led to a NWOSU (7-4, 2-1) win, 1-3 (25-18, 17-25, 16-25, 26-24). Ouachita moves to 8-3 overall and 2-2 in the Great American Conference.
Abby Pickett had her second-consecutive game with double digits in kills, finishing with a team-high 13.,
The Tigers took an early lead in the first set, forcing NWOSU to take a timeout trailing 5-2. They would climb back to within two points trailing 15-13, when senior
Chelsey Hess would hold serve for six straight points to give the Tigers a 21-13 lead. The Tigers would close out set one with a 25-18 win. The Tigers hit a game-high attack percentage of .238 in the first set, committing only four errors.
Attack errors would hurt the Tigers in the next two sets, averaging a -.067 attack percentage and committing 22 attack errors. Set two and three marked only the third time this season that the Tigers had more attack errors than kills in a set and the first time it happened in consecutive sets. Despite the errors, Ouachita managed to stay close in both sets before dropping them.
Trailing 1-2 and heading into set four, Ouachita,battled the Rangers point for point with no team having a run larger than three points. The two teams exchanged the lead 12 times in the set. The Tigers appeared in control late in the set, holding serve with a 23-21 lead. NWOSU would answer with back-to-back kills to tie it at 23-23. The Rangers would go on to take set four and the match with a 24-26 win.
Both teams combined for 88 kills (OBU - 40 NWOSU - 44), 344 attacks (OBU - 170 NWOSU - 174), 80 assists (OBU - 39 NWOSU - 41), 164 digs (OBU - 86 NWOSU 78) and 17 blocks (OBU - 8 NWOSU - 9).
Abby Pickett finished with 13 kills and two blocks.
Kelley Ballard had eight kills to go along with five blocks.,
Tara Wait led the Tigers with 35 assists and 21 digs.
Ashley Wake had 19 digs. The Tigers had five players registering double-digits in digs.
Ouachita has a short turn-around as they host Southwestern Oklahoma State tomorrow (9-27) at 11:00 a.m. in the Sturgis Physical Education Center.
