HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Senior outside hitter Marindia Turner had 15 kills and 18 digs to lead the Harding volleyball team over Ouachita Baptist 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 25-19) in the first round of the Great American Conference Tournament on Thursday at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. The Lady Bisons advance to the semifinals and will play Arkansas Tech at 6 p.m., on Friday.
It is the fourth straight season Harding has advanced to the conference semifinals. The Lady Bisons are looking for their second GAC Tournament Championship. Harding won the tournament in 2012. Friday's match against Arkansas Tech, who is the No. 1 seed, will be the first time the teams have met in the GAC Tournament outside of the finals.
Harding picked up its 20th win of the season on Thursday. It is the third straight year the Lady Bisons have won 20 or matches in a season. Since joining the NCAA in 1997, Harding has had 16 seasons they have won over 20 matches.
Harding had 57 kills and hit .215 in the match. Middle blockers Sara Smith and Liv Savage each had 11 kills. Turner picked up her 900th career kill in the match.
Senior setter Taryn Eubank captured her 35th career double-double with 50 assists and 11 digs. Eubank picked up her 3,000th career assist in the match and currently ranks fourth all-time at Harding.
Harding had three other players in double-figure digs besides Turner and Eubank. Senior outside hitter Erica Heim led the Lady Bisons with 19 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Anna Leigh Cargile had 14 and junior defensive specialist Bianca Trevino had 11.
Ouachita Baptist (16-10) was led by Kori Bullard who had 12 kills. The Tigers had 94 digs in the match led by Ashley Wake who had a match-high 23 and Jayme Shell who had 21.
Trailing 16-14 in the first set, Harding went on an 8-1 run to lead 22-17. A Lady Bison kill and a block gave Harding the set 25-19.
The Lady Bisons took a 9-4 lead in the second set before Ouachita Baptist battled back on a 6-2 run to pull within one, 11-10. The Tigers then went on a 6-0 run on five kills to lead 18-13. The teams exchanged points the rest of the way as the Ouachita Baptist lead proved to be too much for Harding to overcome as the Tigers took the set 25-19.
The Lady Bisons jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the third set before giving up a 10-4 Tiger run to tie the set at 15. Harding scored the next four points to lead 19-15 and held onto the lead the rest of the way to take the set 25-22.
The fourth set was close until Harding broke away on a 12-5 run to lead 16-11. Ouachita Baptist tried to battle back but Harding had four kills and service ace to close the set and take the match.
