ALVA, Okla. (March 18, 2021) – After failing to convert on a set point in the second set – thus falling two sets behind – Oklahoma Christian roared to life against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday night to take the third set in impressive fashion, then started the fourth set well, too.

But the Eagles didn't sustain that momentum and Northwestern took advantage, taking the fourth set to cap a 3-1 (25-19, 26-24, 11-25, 25-17) win over OC in the Eagles' regular-season finale at Percefull Fieldhouse.

OC (6-11) lost for the first time in three matches this season against Great American Conference opponents, having earlier beaten Southwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene.

Kaydee Honeycutt was the star for Northwestern (6-4), finishing with 20 kills and a .457 attack percentage, while Avery Osburg had 41 of the Rangers' 45 assists.

OC had three players record double-digit kills – Allyssa Hamlin (12), Talby Duerksen (11, with a .357 attack percentage) and Kelsie Schiefelbein (10). The Eagles' team attack percentage of .174 actually was better than Northwestern's (.169) but OC also committed 24 errors, two more than the Rangers, key in a match in which Northwestern finished with only a narrow 87-85 edge in overall points.

Both teams had 69 digs. Four players had 14 each for the Eagles – Brylie Berryman, Hamlin, Spencer Plato and Caitlynne Hudgens, while Sydnee Miller had 30 for Northwestern.

An 8-1 run by Northwestern turned the first set. In the second set, OC trailed 20-14 but rallied to take a 24-23 lead after a kill by Hudgens. The Rangers fought off the set point with a kill by Ravyn Burns, then received kills from Tarra Parks and Honeycutt to take the set and a 2-0 lead.

OC won 11 straight points in the third set, during which they committed only two errors and Northwestern had 11. The Eagles closed the set with a 5-0 run and jumped to a 4-1 lead in the fourth set before Northwestern scored six of the next seven points. Up 11-10, the Rangers used a 5-0 run to seize control and the Eagles came no closer than five points the rest of the way.

The Eagles now will turn their attention to the postseason. They'll leave Sunday for Kingsville, Texas, where they will face Texas A&M-Commerce in a first-round Lone Star Conference tournament game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The winner will play No. 8-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville on Wednesday at 6 p.m.