ALVA, Okla. — The Harding volleyball team overcame a slow start and went on to defeat Northwestern Oklahoma 3-1 (15-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-16) Thursday night in Great American Conference action.
The victory moves Harding's record to 16-3 overall and 7-1 in GAC play. With the win, Harding head coach Meredith Fear picked up her 300 victory at Harding.
Northwestern Oklahoma falls to 3-16 overall and 1-7 in the GAC.
Harding's attack was led by Josie Bishop with a match-high 15 kills. Middle blockers Rauly Eason and Philomina Klotz also recorded 10 and 8 kills, respectively, with Eason hitting a stellar .435 and Klotz hitting .375. Setter Olivia Wiedower piloted the offense with 36 assists.
SET HIGHLIGHTS
Set 1 (Northwestern Okla. 25, Harding 15): The Lady Bisons struggled out of the gate, with Northwestern Oklahoma using a 5-0 run to take an early 11-6 lead. Harding's attack committed four errors late in the set, and the Rangers closed it out on a 6-0 run to claim the 25-15 victory. The Rangers only had two attack errors in the set and hit .321.
Set 2 (Harding 25, Northwestern Okla. 18): Harding immediately flipped the switch. The Lady Bisons took an early 12-6 lead. Northwestern Oklahoma could not recover, and back-to-back unforced errors by the Rangers closed out the set 25-18 for Harding.
Set 3 (Harding 25, Northwestern Okla. 23): In the pivotal frame, the teams battled through six ties and three lead changes, before Northwestern took a late 17-13 lead. The Lady Bisons chipped away at the deficit. Trailing 23-20, Harding won the next five points on three kills and two service aces by Ella Drake to win the set 25-23. The Lady Bisons had 15 kills in the set.
Set 4 (Harding 25, Northwestern Okla. 16): With momentum firmly on their side, the Lady Bisons dominated the final set. A 13-5 run gave the Lady Bisons some early breathing room. The teams exchanged points the rest of the way as Harding went on to win 25-16. The Lady Bisons had 12 kills in the set and hit .300.
Defensively, libero Maddie Burrough led the Lady Bison defense with 13 digs. Harding had seven service aces in the match led by Ella Drake who had three. Philomina Klotz anchored the net defense with four solo blocks.
Northwestern Oklahoma was led by Mikayla White's 12 kills.
Harding will next return to the court Friday to continue GAC play against Southwestern Oklahoma. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m., in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
