SEARCY, Ark. — Facing a 2-1 match deficit, the Harding volleyball team dug deep on its home court Friday, pulling off a high-octane five-set comeback (25-23, 15-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-11) over Southwestern Oklahoma at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
Led by a 17-kill performance from Josie Bishop and double-doubles from Addie Worley and Olivia Wiedower, the Lady Bisons dominated the final two sets to capture a crucial Great American Conference victory. The win pushes Harding to 16-4 on the season and 6-3 in GAC play, while SWOSU moves to 12-9 overall and 5-4 in the conference.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Set 1 (Harding 25, SWOSU 23): Melaina Haines and Josie Bishop combined for 12 kills to jumpstart the Lady Bisons in the opening set, holding off a late Bulldog surge to hit .282 as a team and take the 1-0 match lead.
- Set 2 (SWOSU 25, Harding 15): SWOSU quickly answered, holding Harding to a .059 attack percentage while swinging at a .417 mark to equalize the match.
- Set 3 (SWOSU 26, Harding 24): In a set that featured 12 tie scores, six kills from Worley kept Harding within striking distance, but the Bulldogs squeaked out a late 26-24 victory to take the lead.
- Set 4 (Harding 25, SWOSU 16): With their backs against the wall, the Lady Bisons flipped the script defensively. Harding limited SWOSU to a .107 hitting efficiency, while Lauren Demuth went 4-for-4 on attack attempts and Philomina Klotz added four kills to force set five.
- Set 5 (Harding 15, SWOSU 11): The Lady Bisons played flawless offensive volleyball in the decider, committing zero attack errors on 27 attempts (.407) while Bishop put away five kills to finish off the comeback.
STATS & NOTES
- 1,000-Dig Milestone: Senior setter Olivia Wiedower officially joined the 1,000-career-dig club during the win. She finished the match with 19 digs, 46 assists, and two aces for her double-double.
- Offensive Output: Josie Bishop set the pace with a team-high 17 kills on a .368 hitting percentage. Addie Worley recorded 12 kills and a career-high 22 digs, while Melaina Haines chipped in 13 kills and eight digs.
- Balanced Support: Philomina Klotz registered 10 kills, and Lauren Demuth contributed eight kills on .353 hitting.
- Backrow & Net Defense: Maddie Burrough anchored the backline with 17 digs and three aces, while libero Mallory Weyand picked up 16 digs. Harding held a 7.0 to 5.0 advantage in team blocks.
The Lady Bisons will be back in action next Thursday when it travels to Ada, Oklahoma to take on East Central at 6 p.m.
