OMAHA, Neb. — Mia Sanchez surpassed 1,000 career assists while posting a single-match career-best 53 assists, and Ava Newby tallied a career-high 21 kills against Ottawa, but the Oklahoma Panhandle State volleyball team (2-5) fell 3-0 and 3-2 to RV Morningside (5-4) and Ottawa (1-5), respectively, on Saturday to close out the College of Saint Mary Labor Day Classic.
 
Sanchez opened Saturday 24 assists away from 1,000 in her career, and she achieved the milestone in the first set of the evening match versus Ottawa. The senior also shattered her newly set career high in assists during the match, setting up 53 of the Aggies' 67 kills on the evening.
 
Newby collected 21 of those kills with a monstrous hitting percentage of .383. She also recorded nine digs and three blocks in the match, the latter of which tied Skyla Stark for the team high.  
 
Taylore Alsaid easily cleared a double-double in the five-set match with 14 kills and 16 digs, while Winiffer Rodriguez paced the Aggies defensively in both matches, finishing her day with a combined 34 digs.
 
Match 1 vs RV Morningside: Lost 3-0 (17-25, 15-25, 17-25)
OPSU struggled to build momentum in its morning match despite taking early leads in all three sets. Elena Kagiali posted a team-best 10 kills, but Panhandle State could not find its collective offensive rhythm.
 
Match 2 vs Ottawa: Lost 3-2 (25-15, 19-25, 26-24, 22-25, 11-15)
The Aggies had several impressive individual stat lines in the five-set marathon, but they let a 9-7 lead slip in the fifth stanza to drop the heartbreaker.
 
After controlling the first set, it was a back-and-forth battle as the Labor Day Classic drew to a close. Despite the Braves prevailing, the Aggies set season-best marks in kills, attack percentage and assists during the match.
 
What's up next: OPSU begins Sooner Athletic Conference play on Friday, Sept. 5, at the College of the Ozarks (4-0) in Point Lookout, Missouri. First serve is set for 6 p.m.