NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State volleyball team (1-1) opened its season Friday at the Bethel College Classic, where it bounced back from dropping a spirited morning match with host-Bethel (1-0) to defeat Hastings (1-1) in the afternoon slate.
 
Taylore Alsaid led the Aggies on the day with 19 total kills, followed by Elena Kagiali's 15 and Ava Newby's 14. Taylor Silva, who finished with a combined seven kills, surpassed 250 kills in her career.
 
Mia Sanchez set up the OPSU attack with 68 assists, including 40 in the season-opening match. The senior also reached 400 career digs on the day.
 
Winiffer Rodriguez made a strong impression in her Aggie debut, tallying a team-best 36 digs to go with two service aces.
 
Match 1 at Bethel: Lost 3-1 (22-25, 19-25, 25-23, 22-25)
The Aggies fought back after dropping the first two sets and facing a 21-18 deficit in set number three. Kagiali then spurred a 7-2 OPSU run to close the third set with three kills, including the set-clincher.
 
Panhandle State roared out to an 11-7 advantage in the fourth set but ran out of gas as the Threshers, fueled by Cameron Offerle's 28 kills in the match, held on to win.
 
Match 2 vs Hastings: Won 3-1 (25-21, 27-25, 18-25, 25-19)
OPSU started its afternoon match on a 9-0 run, with Kagiali notching three aces during that stretch. The Broncos tied the first set at 14-14 before the Aggies regained control to claim a 1-0 match advantage.
 
Panhandle State was on the ropes trailing 24-22 in the second set, but it capitalized on Hastings' miscues and utilized a late kill from Rylie Kaopuiki-Kaikaina to take a commanding 2-0 edge.
 
After dropping the third set, the Aggies closed a competitive fourth frame on a 7-0 run that featured an ace by Rodriguez and a kill by Skyla Stark.
 
What's up next: OPSU concludes its time at the Bethel College Classic on Saturday with a 1 p.m. match versus Texas A&M Texarkana (1-0).