Women's Volleyball | 9/14/2019 4:31:00 PM

 
LANGSTON, Okla. – With its back up against the proverbial wall, the Oklahoma Panhandle State University volleyball team fought back from a two-set deficit to defeat arch-rival Langston University, 3-2, on the road.  The win (19-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-12) helped the Aggies improve to 6-5 overall and 3-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
 
"I am proud of the way the team pulled together this weekend and pulled out two great road wins," Aggie Head Coach Shelby Bartley said. "The grit this team has is unstoppable and I am especially proud of them for the way they came back versus Langston after being down two sets."
 
Panhandle State hung close to the Lions in the early going of the first two sets. But in each, Langston eventually doused the OPSU hopes late.  In set one, LU pulled ahead 20-16 and never looked back. Likewise, in set two, after see-sawing and leading early, the Lions pulled ahead at 15-14 and then finished off the Aggies.
 
But in the break after set two, Panhandle Head Coach Shelby Bartley rallied her troops. In the third set, the Aggies came out pistols blazing and built a 20-13 cushion. But, on LU's home floor, that lead was not safe, as the hosts reeled of six-consecutive points to climb to within one, 20-19. In the waning points, OPSU clung to a 23-22 margin. A Lion attack error, followed by a kill from Kendra Butler allowed Panhandle State to register its first set win of the day.
 
The fourth set saw the Aggies once again lead early – 5-1 – only to have Langston tie the match at 9-9, with LU eventually leading for what would be the last time in the match at 12-11. From that point on, the Aggies never trailed and the match was tied three times, the last of which was at 20-20. An attack error by LU made it 21-20 in favor of OPSU, before Skylar Cleavinger would serve out the next four points for Panhandle to even the match at 2-2.
 
In the fifth and deciding set to 15 points, OPSU held the upper hand at 5-3, forcing a Lions' timeout. The Aggies led by as much as five points (11-6), with the Lions clawing to within a point, 12-11. Panhandle did not allow Langston to get any closer, as a no-doubt kill off the arm of Richelle Carroll punctuated Panhandle State's comeback victory, 15-12.
 
Hannah Murray and Carroll each posted double-doubles in the match. Murray had a season-high 16 kills and also helped the defensive cause with 10 digs. Murray also served up two aces.
 
Carroll booked her best kill total, with 14, and had a .212 attack average. Her 16 digs not only gave her a double-double, but led the Aggies' team. She had a pair of solo blocks and two assists, as well.
 
Butler and Cleavinger gave the Aggies four players in double figures for kills on the afternoon. Butler chipped in 12 and Cleavinger 10 to round out the quartet. Both had strong attacking matches, as well, with Butler hitting .452 and Cleavinger .400 to pace Panhandle's attack.
 
Setter Keeley Johnston had a match-leading 48 assists. Johnston's nice all-around match included five kills, eight digs and three blocks.
 
As a team, OPSU had 10 blocks, with Butler having a hand in five of them (three solo). Cleavinger had three assisted blocks, as well.
 
The Aggies will next host Wayland Baptist University on Tuesday (Sept. 17). Start time at Anchor D Arena at Oscar Williams Field House is slated for 7 p.m.