Women's Volleyball | 10/18/2019 11:06:00 PM
GOODWELL, Okla. – To quote the late baseball icon Yogi Berra, the Oklahoma Panhandle State University five-set victory over visiting Langston University was "déjà vu all over again." The Aggies (8-13, 5-8 SAC) lost the first two sets to the Lions (5-19, 2-11 SAC), and then came back to claim victory by winning three straight, exactly the same scenario as the first meeting between the teams at LU on September 14.
OPSU won the match by set scores of 16-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-6.
The Panhandle State senior duo of
Kendra Butler and
Ruth Ard took the Aggies on their back to lead the win. Butler enhanced her team-leading hitting percentage by posting a match-high 17 kills. Butler made just three errors in 24 attempts, for a sterling attack average of .583 for the night. She also served up two of OPSU's four aces and had one block, along with three digs.
As good as Butler's hitting was, Ard's was even more impressive. Ard had 11 kills in 14 tries, with zero errors, for a .786 attack average. And Ard was just as lethal on defense for Panhandle, registering a total of seven blocks (six solo).
Skylar Cleavinger was the Aggies' third player with double-digit kill totals for the night. Cleavinger had 10 kills, to go along with five digs.
The turning point in the match came in set three. With the Aggies ahead by a tight 12-10 margin, Butler got the side-out on a kill and then proceeded to reel off three-straight winning serves, increasing the Aggie advantage to 15-11 to create some breathing room on the way to the 25-22 win
In the fourth set and with OPSU leading 10-4, the Lions clawed back catch Panhandle at 18-18. A kill by
Mia Moore, followed by three serve sinners from
Hannah Murray, made it 22-18 and an eventual 25-22 win to force the deciding fifth set to 15.
Set five was never really in doubt as Panhandle State led 5-1 after a Butler ace and 11-4 thanks to an attack error by Langston. Fittingly, match point was another Butler power kill on an assist from
Keeley Johnston, for the 15-6 final set score and the 3-2 match victory.
Moore finished with nine kills and two blocks. Johnston and
Katelyn Faulk combined for 48 assists (27 for Johnston and 21 for Faulk). Libero
Ashley Sanchez had 14 digs, with Johnston chipping in 12.
As a team, the Aggies out-hit Langston, .242 to .175 for the match. Panhandle was particularly effective in set five, hitting .500 (9-for-16; one error).
Panhandle State will be in action again on Saturday (Oct. 19) afternoon, hosting Central Christian College at 1 p.m.
