SHAWNEE, Oklahoma – Oklahoma Baptist became the second-straight No. 5 seed to capture the Great American Conference Volleyball Championship as the Bison defeated third-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State in three sets on Saturday from FireLake Arena.
The title represented the fourth for the Bison (22-9) in the last seven years. They authored the sixth sweep in a final in the 15-year history of the event.
Rylee Unruh capped a Tournament MVP performance by recording a season-high 24 kills. The total also represented a tournament record for a three-set match. She hit .415 as she committed just two errors on 53 attempts. She added 12 digs for her third double-double in as many GAC Championship matches. For the weekend, she amassed 60 kills, averaged 5.45 per set, and hit .246.
In the opening set, Bulldogs (16-15) held a 14-12 lead only to see the Bison win 13 of the final 15 points, including the final nine, to earn a 25-16 victory. Unruh notched seven kills as part of the set-closing run. The Bison hit .429 as a team.
Set two saw the Bison score the first three points en route to a 25-20, wire-to-wire win. Up 11-9, Unruh converted four kills as part of a 7-0 run that put the set out of reach.
The Bison built three separate five-point leads in the third set. Trailing 24-21, the Bulldogs fended off three match points. At 24-24, a Lillian Noble kill gave Oklahoma Baptist a fourth match. Unruh clinched the victory with her record-setting kill.
Emily Boyer and Karsyn Hunter joined Unruh on the All-Tournament Team. Boyer averaged 9.45 assists and 4.45 digs per set in the three wins. Hunter set a tournament record for digs in a match with her 61 against Ouachita Baptist in the semifinal.
Hailey Smith and Jada Permenter represented the Bulldogs on the All-Tournament Team. Smith led SWOSU with 17 kills. She hit .472 and did not commit an error. Over the three matches, she hit .349 and averaged 4.63 points per set. Permenter averaged 6.27 digs per set.
Harding’s Ella Drake and Ouachita Baptist’s Courtney Hanson filled out the All-Tournament team. Drake totaled 26 kills and four aces for the event. Hanson averaged 12.13 assists and 5.38 digs per set in the Tigers’ two contests.
The Bison secured the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships. They’ll learn their opponent at 6:30 p.m. Monday during the NCAA Selection Show.
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