SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Oklahoma Christian opened the season against No. 16 Nebraska Kearney and followed that with a matchup against Saint Martin's (WA) at the Westminster Invitational Volleyball Tournament Presented by UFirst Credit Union.
 
Match one vs. No. 16 UNK
 
The first set of 2023 was a great one, with both teams trading points and OC holding the largest lead of the set at 16-12. The Lopers rallied to tie it at 16 and took a 19-18 lead, but a 3-0 run gained control for the Eagles again at 21-19. OC took a three-point lead to set point until a 3-0 Kearney run tied the set at 24. With the opening set tied, Oklahoma Christian showed some early grit, taking the next two points to win the set 26-24.
 
Newcomers Giorgia Turri and Katy Geurin led the Eagles in the set with five and six kills, respectively, to combine for eleven of OC's sixteen first-set kills.
 
UNK jumped out to a seven-point lead in set two and went on to win the set and tie the match. Megan Rek, Turri, and Geurin led offensively for the Eagles. Sophomore transfer Camryn McGough had three of her team-high six blocks in the set.
 
Set three was a combination of the first two sets as the Lopers took another early lead, but the Eagles tied the match at 16 after a 6-1 run erased a 5-point Kearney lead. After the run, Nebraska Kearney went on to take the set and won set four to win the match 3-1.
 
Geurin and Turri led the Eagles with thirteen kills each, McGough led the Eagles in blocks with six, and Lauren McClure and Rainey Aven led the Eagles in assists with twenty each. Brylie Berryman had thirteen digs, and Turri added eleven to have a double-double in her OC debut.
 
Match two vs. Saint Martin's
 
Saint Martin's took the match in three sets, winning them 25-17, 25-18, and 25-21.
 
Megan Rek led the Eagles in kills with 6, Alexa Grogan and Sara Freeman each had 2 aces, and Lauren McClure dished out 15 assists.
 
Next Up
 
The Eagles will take on the host school tomorrow at 1 p.m. (CDT) and then finish the invitational with a matchup against Purdue University Northwest at 5 p.m. (CDT)