EDMOND, Okla. - As they had several times this year already, the Oklahoma Christian women's volleyball team forced a fifth set after dropping the first two sets. However, Texas Permian Basin was able to prevail in this marathon match, 3-2.
The Eagles outhit the Falcons on the evening, .128 to .106, but a fifth-set .222 to .043 hitting advantage for UTPB proved to be the difference.
Annie Davis led the team with 16 kills while
Avery Cole recorded 13 winners while hitting .258.
The first set saw six lead changes before Permian Basin, with the match tied, 16-16, used a 4-0 run to open just enough of a lead to drive it to a 25-21 victory. The Falcons brought the momentum of the early match lead in to the second frame, where they 11 of the first 14 points.
The Eagles behind to slowly inch back in front of a raucous home crowd. Trailing 22-18, OC mounted a 6-2 run to tie play at 24-24. Oklahoma Christian then warded off a UTPB set point before having four set points of its own, yet the Falcons did not relent. Facing its fourth set point, Permian Basin closed on a 3-0 run to take the commanding 2-0 match lead, 31-29.
The third set echoed the second with the back-and-forth nature before the match saw its 11 tied of the third stanza before it was OC's turn to close on the run, securing five of the final six points to stay alive, 25-21. Now with a 2-1 lead, the Eagle fans started making their presence felt.
The fourth set proved to be all Oklahoma Christian, establishing an 11-2 lead against a rattled Falcons squad. That lead grew to 13 before Oklahoma Christian forced a winner-take-all fifth set with a dominant 25-11 fourth-set victory and all the momentum.
Permian Basin still had a bit of fight in them, however, as the rattled Falcons a set earlier calmly put five of the frame's first seven points on the board. Oklahoma Christian was able to tie it up at 5-5 to try and reclaim the energy in the building, but UTPB strung together the next four points before leaving the Payne Athletic Center with the 15-10 win to keep its postseason hopes alive.
The Eagles (19-10, 8-7 LSC) will now host Western New Mexico on Senior Day Saturday, Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. Senior Day festivities will begin at 12 p.m. with first serve starting at approximately 12:15 p.m. Oklahoma Christian needs a win over the Mustang paired with a loss from both Lubbock Christian and either St. Mary's or Texas Permian Basin to qualify for next week's Lone Star Conference Tournament.
