GOODWELL, Okla. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State volleyball team (10-10, 8-5 SAC) opened its weekend with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 25-13) win over John Brown (8-12, 4-8) on "Dig Pink" night to split the season series and notch its second straight victory.
The win gave OPSU its first against the Golden Eagles since 2021, a season in which the Aggies won 21 games.
The teams battled throughout the first three sets, neither gaining much separation as they came down to the wire. Thankfully for Panhandle State, late errors from JBU helped the Aggies take a 2-0 lead in the match, with
Emma Coburn putting down the second-set-clinching kill.
Head coach
Ilani Dalton's squad battled back from a 17-10 deficit in the third set, as OPSU got kills from a variety of contributors to make it a three-point game, trailing 23-20. After a point from the Golden Eagles,
Skyla Stark got Anchor D Arena on its feet with a pair of kills to bring the Aggies all the way back within one, but JBU got the point it needed to send the match to a fourth set.
In that fourth set, the hosts dominated in every facet with three service aces, three total blocks and a .238 hitting percentage to easily put the Golden Eagles away.
Mia Sanchez set up an efficient attack with 42 of OPSU's 52 assists.
Elena Kagiali led the way with 15 kills, although it was ultra-efficient double-digit kill efforts from Stark and
Taylore Alsaid that really helped swing the match in Panhandle State's favor.
Kagiali and Alsaid also had double-digit digs, figures that were reached by
Winiffer Rodriguez and
Nyah Ulmer, too.
Coburn had a match-best .500 hitting percentage with seven kills in just 14 swings. At the service line, Sanchez and Kagiali combined for five aces.
What's up next: Panhandle State closes out its seven-match homestand on Saturday at 12 noon to face College of the Ozarks (12-6, 7-5 SAC).
