SEARCY, Ark. — The Harding volleyball team rolled to a sweep Thursday night at Rhodes-Reaves Field House, defeating Northwestern Oklahoma 3-0 (25-10, 25-21, 25-17) in Great American Conference action.
With the win, the Lady Bisons improved to 15-4 overall and 5-3 in GAC play, while Northwestern Oklahoma dropped to 8-13 overall and 2-6 in conference competition.
Harding set the tone early in the opening frame, hitting an efficient .517 with 18 kills and just three errors to take set one 25-10. The Lady Bisons continued their relentless attack through the next two sets, hitting .295 in set two and finishing with a blistering .643 clip in set three. Overall, Harding hit .455 for the match with 55 kills, marking the fifth-best single-match hitting percentage in school history.
Middle blocker Philomina Klotz led the offense with a match-high 14 kills on 21 attacks, hitting .619 while adding three digs and three block assists. Outside hitter Melaina Haines racked up 12 kills on 18 swings with a .611 hitting percentage, three service aces, and 12 digs to notch a double-double.
Setter Olivia Wiedower orchestrated the attack, dishing out 47 assists across three sets alongside seven digs.
Defensively, libero Mallory Weyand anchored the back row with 11 digs. Harding out-blocked the Rangers 6 to 4 at the net, led by Klotz's five blocks.
Northwestern Oklahoma was led by Tess de Zanet and Ivanny Blackwood, who each recorded six kills. Ryann Eastes tallied 16 assists, and three players finished with five digs.
Harding never trailed in the first two sets and faced only two lead changes the entire night. In set three, the Lady Bisons pulled away midway through behind consecutive kills from Klotz and Bishop to secure the sweep.
The Lady Bisons will be back in action Friday when it hosts Southwestern Oklahoma at 4 p.m., at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
