Storm Push to Fifth Set But Fall at SNU

BETHANY, Okla. – Caroline Griffith posted a match-high 18 kills and Southeastern rallied from a pair of match points in the third set to extend the match, but saw it tun come up short in the fifth set of a 3-2 road loss to Southern Nazarene on Thursday night in Bethany, Okla.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 7-15 overall on the season and 4-8 in Great American Conference play.
 
Griffith led all attackers with her 18 kills but was the only SE hitter with double-digit kills as Jocelyn Grewing turned in eight, while Madison Martinez and Mya Afflerbach added seven apiece.
 
Ruthie Forson handed out 41 assists in the match while adding five kills on offense, and on the defensive side completed the double-double with 12 digs.
 
Grace Shehadeh's 19 dig effort led the defensive effort, while McKenzie Turkoly added 18 and Skylor Lewis turned in 17. Crislynn Autry was next in line with 13 followed by Forson's 12.
 
Jadyn James led the net defense with seven blocks, while Afflerbach finished with six.
 
A slow start in set one cost the Storm as SNU pulled away for a 25-14 win, while it was a rough finish in set two that saw a mid-set lead disappear into a Crimson Storm 25-19 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Set three got off to a tough start for Southeastern as SNU reeled off a 10-2 run to open play. The Storm responded though with an 11-3 run to knot the set at 13-13 following a Grewing kill.
 
After a handful of back-and-forth points, SE would push its lead to 22-19 on another Grewing kill, but SNU would rally to tie the set once again, this time at 22-22.
 
Southeastern would serve for set point at 24-22 but would see the Crimson Storm take that point and the next two to take a 25-24 lead.
 
SE would fight off that match point and another at 26-25, before reeling off three-straight points and winning the set on a Griffith kill, 28-26.
 
With new life, SE would again fight off a slow start and carry a 24-21 lead into the final points of the fourth set.
 
This time it was SNU who staved off two-straight set points and would eventually put the Storm on the ropes at 25-24.
 
Bet yet again Southeastern responded and would take the next three points, the final two on Griffith kills, to win the set 27-25 and even the match at 2-2.
 
The fifth set was even through the early going, with the teams playing to a 7-7 tie before a 7-2 SNU run would give the home team a 14-9 lead. Southeastern would fight off a pair of match points, but would see its final rally come up short in a 15-11 fifth set loss.