HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas – The Ouachita volleyball earned its first trip in program history to the Great American Conference Tournament Championship match with a 3-1 upset victory over the No. 1 seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State in the GAC Semifinals Friday night at Bank OZK Arena.
Set Scores: 22-25, 26-24, 25-12, 25-19
Ouachita (21-9, 10-6 GAC) opened the semifinal matchup going nearly point for point with top-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State (21-8, 15-1 GAC). It looked like the Bulldogs were going to gain control early with a 14-10 lead, but the Tigers answered back and tied the opening set at 15-15. SWOSU then used a 6-0 run to go up 21-15. Ouachita again had an answer, this time in the form of a 7-1 run to tie the set 22-22. However, Southwestern finished off the set 25-22 and the Tigers fell behind in the match 1-0.
The second set was dead even again early, with both teams tied at 8-8. SWOSU used a 6-1 run to take a 14-9 advantage. But a few points later, Ouachita found its spark with its own 6-1 run to take a 18-17 lead. The two teams traded one-point leads over the next four points before the Bulldogs tied it at 20-20. The Tigers and Bulldogs again traded three-point runs to stay tied at 23-23. Another two points and the teams remained tied at 24-24 to head to extra points. The Tigers were ready to close things out and got back-to-back kills to win the set 26-24 and tie the match at 1-1.
Ouachita opened with a 4-0 run in set three that later turned in to a 9-3 advantage for the Tigers. With the score of 11-7, the Tigers got hot and rattled off seven straight points to take a 10-point, 17-7 lead over the No. 1 seeded Bulldogs. From there, the Tigers cruised to a dominant 25-12 win in set number three and take a 2-1 match lead.
After the fourth set saw both teams tied 3-3, the Tigers put together a 6-1 run to go up 9-4. That early five-point lead proved to be the difference maker in this set. Southwestern tried to chip away at Ouachita's lead, bringing it within as little as two points midway through the set. But each time the Bulldogs would close the gap, the Tigers were quick to push it right back out to five. With a 20-16 lead, Ouachita used a 4-0 run to set up match point at 24-16. SWOSU answered with three straight to bring it back within five. Ouachita called game and ended the match with a kill to win set four 25-19 and send the Tigers to their first GAC Championship match in program history with a 3-1 upset win.
The Tigers have now beaten the defending 2023 GAC tournament champion Oklahoma Baptist and the 2024 GAC regular season champion SWOSU in back-to-back games to reach the 2024 GAC Finals.
Kailey Thedford lit up the offensive stat sheet with a career-high 27 kills on a .319 hitting percentage. Thedford's 27 kills are the most by a Tiger in a single match since 2022.
Riley Braziel was next in kills with 12 with a match-high .400 hitting percentage, followed by
Emily Adams with 11 kills.
Courtney Hanson led all setters with 53 assists, good for Hanson's seventh 50-plus assist match of the season. Hanson was also second in digs with a season-high 21 to complete her 16
th double-double of the season.
Avery Jauz led all defenders with 20 digs. Hanson was next with 21, followed by Braziel with 17, and
Peyton Church with 13. Braziel's 17 digs gave the Decatur, Texas native her 13
th double-double of the year.
Leah Gardner led the team in blocks with three and tied for the team lead in aces with Jauz and Church with two each.
The Tigers will be looking for their first ever GAC Tournament Championship take on the No. 2 seed Bisons of Harding University in the 2024 Great American Conference Tournament Finals tomorrow, Saturday, November 23 at 3 p.m. in the Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
