SEARCY, Ark. — The Harding Lady Bisons put on a defensive clinic and controlled the net Tuesday night, rolling to a straight-sets victory over Great American Conference rival Ouachita Baptist (25-17, 25-15, 25-19) at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
Harding (12-1, 2-0 GAC) delivered a sharp offensive execution while stifling the visiting Tigers (5-9, 1-1 GAC) at every turn. The Lady Bisons out-killed Ouachita Baptist 48-18 on the night, holding the Tigers to a .009 hitting percentage across all three sets.
The home team set the tone early in the opening frame, unleashing 16 kills while attacking at a red-hot .378 clip. Behind fluid ball distribution from Olivia Wiedower, Harding kept the Tigers' defense off-balance. The Lady Bisons pulled away late in the first set to claim a 25-17 win.
Harding maintained complete momentum in set two, overwhelming Ouachita Baptist at the net and forcing negative hitting percentage for the Tigers (-.026). The Lady Bisons built a comfortable margin early and cruised to a 25-15 win to double their lead.
In the final set, Ouachita Baptist attempted to mount a response, but Harding's front-row block and back-row coverage proved too strong. The Lady Bisons closed out the frame 25-19 to wrap up the sweep in front of their home crowd.
Wiedower directed the attack with 31 assists. Melaina Haines led the Lady Bisons with 14 digs, hit .303 with 13 digs. Addie Worley added 13 kills, while libero Mallory Weyand anchored the back row with 16 digs.
The Lady Bisons will look to keep their winning streak going on Thursday night when they travel to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, to face Henderson State in another conference matchup. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
